Refugee crisis in Europe: determinants of asylum seeking in European countries from 2008–2014

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article reviews determinants of migration attempts for asylum, using the push/pull factors framework, and examines how well this framework can explain asylum-seeking in European countries. Our analyses show that most pull/push variables offer sound explanations for asylum migration. Different political push variables and proximity variables have robust explanatory power. However, the business cycle measured by unemployment rate of origin and host countries does not explain refugee flow from one country to another. In this regard, asylum-related migrations differ from labour migrations, sensitive to job opportunities. These findings suggest that some countries are set to attract more asylum seekers due to their diverse features, and a higher solidarity among host countries is required to deal with this question at European level. It is also necessary for the EU’s asylum policy to be extended to the area of ‘push factors’, tackling the root causes of asylum-seeking.