Europe’s Divide on Immigration: Making Responsibility-Sharing Work

Refugee protection and migration management require cooperation, but this cooperation is often hampered by asymmetries in countries’ interests and capacities.
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Switzerland is deeply integrated into the European migration regime. As an associated member of Dublin, it benefits significantly from the ability to transfer asylum seekers to other European countries.
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The public supports responsibility sharing through European governance but cares about fairness in how responsibilities and costs are distributed.
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Political divides are most likely to be overcome through common European rules that recognize collective responsibility while allowing for a flexible implementation to accommodate countries’ different interests and preferences.