Seeking Asylum: Trends and Policies in the OECD

14 July 2011 - 1 January 1970, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, 2 Dean Trench Street, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HE

Asylum seekers are at the forefront of policy debate. CEPR's new book, by Tim Hatton, provides a fresh analysis of the number and composition of asylum seekers, political and social reactions to them and the evolution of policy in the OECD.
Tracing international asylum policies from the 1951 Refugee Convention up to the present, Hatton investigates forces determining the number of asylum applicants, and evaluates the effects of the increasingly restrictive deterrence policies used.
The book explains how public opinion and politics have led to a backlash against asylum seekers, and studies the effects on those who are admitted as refugees and those who are rejected.
Key findings are that tougher policies do reduce the number of applicants, and that the choice of policy is constrained by popular opinion and trends in national politics. Highlighting European policy, Hatton argues that a more integrated EU-wide strategy would better serve the interests of its citizens and refugees.

Organizer(s):: Professor Timothy J. Hatton, University of Essex, Australian National University and CEPR
Type:: Discussion Meeting
Location:: National Institute of Economic and Social Research, 2 Dean Trench Street, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HE
Attendance:: Open attendance
Contact:: meets@cepr.org
Institution:: CEPR and NIESR
More information:: http://www.cepr.org/meets/ltm/2448/