Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

2539

Date

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Political Science

Committee Chair

Matthias Kaelberer

Committee Member

Dursun Peksen

Committee Member

Eric Groenendyk

Abstract

Since the eruption of the Mediterranean crisis, European states have taken a tougher stance on admitting refugees and asylum seekers despite the fact that Europe is the original architect of the international humanitarian regime. This shift from a historically Open Europe to the Fortress Europe is particularly pronounced in Germany. Accordingly, this thesis explores why Germany has suggested more restrictive policies toward the Mediterranean refugees today when it had responded generously during the Indochinese crisis. I argue that Germany's differential responses to the Indochinese and Mediterranean refugee crises reflect its construction of the foreign groups as either assets or liabilities to national identity. As such, the Vietnamese were positive constructs in Germany's nation building process, whereas the Mediterranean refugees are conceived as potential threats to the maintenance of the re-unified German nation. This study concludes that Germany should consider long-term and short-term effects on the nation when drafting asylum policies.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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