Is the European Union (EU) a normative power?: an in-depth look at its actions and policies on refugees, asylum seekers and forced migrants
This paper examines the legality of the actions of the European Union with regards to their treatment of refugees and the legitimacy of the subsequent policies when tested against prevailing human rights norms and established international law on the rights of refugees, asylum seekers and the forcibly displaced. It takes an in-depth look at the initial commitment of the EU to protecting asylum seekers through its endorsement of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol and highlights the eventual shift in its policies in this respect. Based on the scrutinization of the policies and practices of the European Union, this paper has come to the conclusion that the actions of the EU with regards to their treatment of refugees do not align with revered human rights norms and international legal principles designed to protect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers; as the EU scrambles to protect its borders from “external threats,” it does so by blatantly disregarding the lawfulness of its actions and jeopardizing its reputation as a normative power.
Refugees, asylum seekers, forced migrants, European Union (EU), international law, human rights, legality, security
City University of New York - City College
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