Under the hood of the European Union Agency for Asylum: A study of bureaucratic structures, institutional arrangements and frontline caseworkers

Abstract

Those who study the Common European Asylum System are faced with a puzzling paradox. On the one hand, the system constitutes one of the most comprehensive and judicious protection regimes that the world has ever seen. On the other hand, there is a policy of deterrence in which asylum seekers are actively hindered from enjoying these rights. Living conditions for asylum seekers at the external borders have long been abhorrent, and many consider procedural safeguards in the asylum process inadequate. This study takes an in-depth look at what it is like to work at the forefront of this system by analysing the bureaucratic structures of the European Union Agency for Asylum. It is shown that the discrepancy between officially articulated values and actual practice has significant negative impact on the morale of caseworkers, and that they need to develop strategies to deal with the ethical dilemmas that arise from these discrepancies. The study also sheds light on the process through which the agency creates bureaucratic instruments, in spite of the considerable political turmoil that characterises the migration field. By interviewing caseworkers, analysing bureaucratic instruments, and reviewing the legislative framework, this thesis is both an empirical and theoretical contribution to the study of the Common European Asylum System and the European Union Agency for Asylum.