by Jessica Simpson
Border countries such as Italy and Greece receive a disproportionate amount of asylum seekers as
compared to inland countries such as Germany. The restrictions as laid out by the Dublin Regulation state that
migrants must claim asylum in the first country they enter, causing many to remain in the Mediterranean
countries while their claim is being processed. Though these migrants are granted rights once they become
refugees, this does not offer them the same freedom of movement that EU citizens enjoy. Because of this
restricted flow of movement, many are unable to seek out job opportunities in countries that have more to offer
such as Germany and Sweden. It is harder then to have access to the labour market, and in turn is more difficult
for refugees to integrate into society. My research will compare refugee integration into the labour market in
Italy and Germany, as well as in Slovakia, whose stance on refugees and integration is very much a
representation of the eastern bloc. I will also attempt to argue that a new policy is needed that loosens the
restrictions of movement for refugees within the EU.
