Safe Third Countries

The refugee issue has always been controversial and Lavenex's analysis adds fuel to an already heated debate. She analyses the various bi - and multilateral processes by which the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs) are being gradually incorporated into a restrictive refugee regime established among the EU member states, in which the CEECs serve as 'gate-keepers' for refugees and immigrants heading towards Western Europe.
At a time when many transition countries are attempting to enter the EU, Lavenex highlights the CEECs willingness to adopt Western European policies aimed at fighting illegal immigration and reducing the numbers of asylum seekers as a political bargaining tool in exchange for future membership in the EU. She also argues that the regime undermines the values of international refugee protection and diffuses states' responsibilities by establishing a system of negative redistribution for the handling of asylum claims.
Safe Third Countries is the first comprehensive study on the emergent European refugee regime and highlights the complex entanglement of domestic policies, European integration and international relations.