The EU policies on irregular Mediterranean migration 2000-2010 : an evaluation

Abstract

Departing from the fact that a common European asylum and immigration system has not been completed as yet, this dissertation seeks to pinpoint the possible causes for this. The decade 2000-2010 has been an interesting span of time in which EU immigration and asylum policy has developed gradually. Being responsible for the Mediterranean border of the EU in the context of the area of free movement, the Southern EU members have experienced a number of boat arrivals which has prompted the issue to quickly rise to the top of the EU agenda. Despite asylum seekers and refugees preferring to remain close to their country of origin and developing countries hosting the majority of the world's refugees, within the Union the phenomenon has been perceived as a security threat targeting Europe. Framing the issue as a crisis that cannot be coped with alone, the Mediterranean States have successfully secured financial and human assistance from the EU to aid them. With national immigration regimes becoming more and more restricted to deter further arrivals to their shores, it can be observed that action at EU and domestic level has not always been complementary. This dissertation seeks to undertake an analysis of EU policies for Mediterranean irregular immigration during 2000-2010. Focusing not only on the EU institutions but also on Malta, Spain and Greece, the development of irregular immigration policies is explained. The first two chapters are dedicated to methodology and literature review, to explain the structure and frame the subject of the dissertation respectively. The third chapter attempts to give a broad outline of how EU competence developed throughout the decade 2000-2010 through the JHA Programmes. The fourth chapter subsequently outlines one policy plan which emerged from the goals of each Programme. Seeing EU immigration law in the context of the Programmes gives an opportunity to look at EU immigration law at a glance, including the objectives that were meant to be achieved and the gradual development from 2000 till 2010, which allows a better platform for analysis. The fifth chapter delves deeper into whether EU immigration policy has operated as intended by focusing on 3 individual Southern Member States and highlighting how their geographical location leaves them vulnerable to boat arrivals, which has subsequently seen irregular immigration by sea as one of the priorities on the EU agenda. The final chapter summarises the main findings of the dissertation and includes a number of suggestions for improving current EU immigration legislation.