Explaining Inequality in the Implementation of Asylum Law
Mascini, P. (2008). Explaining Inequality in the Implementation of Asylum Law. Refuge : Canada's Periodical on Refugees, 25 (2), 164-181.
43 Pages Posted: 1 Feb 2015
Date Written: January 31, 2009
Abstract
The goal of this research was to identify factors that account for procedural and substantive inequality in implementing asylum law. The decisions of ninety-eight caseworkers of the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service on an asylum application were related to their answers on a questionnaire. Caseworkers differed in the extent of available information on an asylum application they took for granted and in their final decisions on it. These differences resulted from work pressure, the caseworkers’ reputation, their role definition, political opinion, professional background, and local policies. Intensifying feedback and decreasing work pressure can achieve more consistent and careful decisions.
Keywords: Asylum, Decision-Making, Procedural Inequality, Substantial Inequality
JEL Classification: K19, K39, K49
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation