Communitarianism vs Cosmopolitanism? Refugee and asylum policy of the Conservative "blue-blue" government
Master thesis
Permanent lenke
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/293714Utgivelsesdato
2015-07-28Metadata
Vis full innførselSamlinger
Sammendrag
This master thesis explores the national and international influence in formulation of refugee
and asylum policy of the Conservative government that gained political power in 2013, by
giving attention to the policies of the main constituent parties namely the Conservative Party
and the Progress Party. The process of formulating the refugee and asylum policy has been an
interaction between interests and influences on the national and international level. Tensions
between international human rights and sovereign state are encountered in national policy
formulation on the issue. The thesis examines these tensions and dilemmas with a theoretical
framework of normative theory that discusses differences between cosmopolitanism and
communitarianism. International obligations demand the government to comply with
international conventions related to refugees. However several scholars argue that the
contemporary world is communitarian; this suggests national influence and national policy is
important in refugee policy formulation.
Factors influencing the refugee and asylum policy on the national and international level will
be examined based on social constructivism. International obligations are not the only factor
influencing the refugee and asylum policy of the government. National factors do have crucial
importance. Examined in this research are: parties influence on policy, parties influence on
each other, public opinion, media and NGOs. Factors on the international level are: EU
policies, international obligations and UNHCR. Among these factors all are important in
influencing the refugee and asylum policy to the Conservative government to some extent.
The interplay between these influences is important and all can be decisive in different times and different settings.