Reforming The Dublin Regulation and Developing the EU Migration and Asylum Pact : A Desk Study on Sweden's role and Solidarity

Sammanfattning

This study examines how the reformation of the Dublin regulation, towards the new migration and asylum pact have impacted the power balance and solidarity within the EU. The study analyzes the reform process for a more sustainable common EU management of migration policy. Furthermore, how the process has affected the solidarity between the member states, and how that in turn can give effect on the implementation process of the new pact. There is a particular focus on Sweden in this study, due to its driving force for the new migration and asylum pact during the reform process. Sweden, which has had a leading humanitarian role, has played a central role in the reform process. Sweden has at the same time looked into its own migration policy in the light of experiences of new internal pressures, as a result of the migration flows to Europe during the refugee crisis 2015. With help of Robert O. Keohane and Joseph S. Nye jr´theory on liberal interdependence, this study highlights how interdependence between states has shaped both the reform process and the implementation of the solidarity mechanism. The result shows that the new migration and asylum pact has led to a change in balance of power between the EU member states. Some EU member states feel increased vulnerability, due to the new obligations that the new migration and asylum pact includes. Solidarity within the EU has shown to be selective, where some member states support the new migration and asylum pact, while others oppose it. More particularly oppose the mandatory solidarity mechanisms. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how relations between member states affect solidarity, and how they impact the development and implementation of the EU´s new migration and asylum pact. The conclusions emphasise the importance of handling tensions between national and collective interests, to ensure a sustainable and equitable immigration policy within the EU.