From Inefficiency to Conspiracy: How Governments Undermine their Refugee Policy

• In Event: Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees: Policies and Practices

Abstract

Refugee policy is generous in theory, but often chaotic on the ground. Indicatively, although over 800,000 displaced people arrived to Greece by sea in 2015, fewer than 5% applied for asylum in this first European haven. A broken asylum system is horrific for refugees, who do not receive essential entitlements. It is also challenging for host states, because they cannot deport undocumented migrants swiftly. We conducted over 80 interviews and ethnographic observation in formal and informal camps Greece, the first (and likely ultimate) European reception country for many Syrian, Afghani, and other refugees and migrants. We found that existing theories to explain the disconnect between laws on the books and laws on the ground – capability limitations and strategic under-enforcement – do not account for the chaotic conditions we observed. Instead, we identify rumors as a critical variable that mediates national policy and refugee actions, and significantly worsens the impact of routine obstacles. We argue that three types of potentially reasonable government actions dramatically increase uncertainty in crisis situations: (1) frequent policy shifts; (2) active withholding of information; and (3) arbitrariness and inconsistency in policy application. These government policies create an environment fertile for rumors, and ultimately undermine both refugees’ access to fundamental rights and governments’ abilities to effectively conduct any type of migration policy.

Authors

• Melissa Anne Carlson, University of California, Berkeley

• Laura Jakli, UC Berkeley

• Katerina Linos, University of California, Berkeley