CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2022
| Author | Rosstalnyj, Nina |
|---|---|
| Title | Deserving and undeserving refugees? An analysis of the EUs response to the refugee crisis in 2015 compared to the refugee influx from Ukraine in 2022 |
| Summary | After the European Union adopted unprecedented measures to provide protection and support to refugees from Ukraine, criticism arose accusing the EU of applying double standards with regard to migration. People fleeing to Europe in 2015 faced strict border controls, relocation to detention centers, or illegal pushbacks. This research explains the diverging responses to refugees using the concept of deservingness. The perceived identity of refugees and feelings of proximity with hosting societies influence whether they are seen as deserving of protection or not. The media and statements by politicians play an important role in shaping the discourse about migrants and whether they are close enough to ‘us’ to deserve protection. By comparing media reporting, speeches and social media content about refugees in 2015 and 2022, this research argues that different factors combined with each other result in the perception of deservingness of refugees from Ukraine while it is ambiguous with previous refugees. Among the factors influencing public opinion are the perceived level of victimhood, knowledge about the context of the flight, identification with the refugees, geographical proximity, and (social) media representation. |
| Supervisor | LaRoche, Christopher David |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2022/rosstalnyj_nina.pdf |
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