Refugees Perceptions, Rights Compliance and the Implications on European Reception Policy: Results from a Survey

Abstract

This study explores the results of a survey conducted in some reception centers for refugees in Italy to assess the perceptions of asylum seekers about the administrative procedures following their application and the general conditions of reception. Our findings are also corroborated by the views of social workers, managers of the centers, officials of Italian Agencies for refugees and UNHCR representatives. We discuss the push-pull factors underlying the choice of leaving their homeland and the perils they went through during the journey to Europe. Safety emerges as the main concern of asylum seekers. The pull factors and the presence of networks of fellow countrymen turn out to be not very significant in determining the country of destination of refugees, in contrast with previous studies. Some remarks about the design of the reception system in Europe follow, since the distribution of the burden among States is far from efficient and refugees’ human rights might be, at times, undermined.