Papers by Carola Schabert
In 2015, the number of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers (UMAs) heading towards Switzer-land ros... more In 2015, the number of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers (UMAs) heading towards Switzer-land rose to an unprecedented level of 2’749 UMAs. This is almost seven times higher than the average of the previous decade. Although international regulations like the Convention on the Rights of the Child provide child-specific rights, national policies are often not in the best interests of the child, which is a primary principle of the convention. This paper looks at the evolution of national migration policies concerning unaccompanied minor asylum seekers in Switzerland be-tween 1951 and 2015. The changes in migration policy restrictiveness and the drivers behind these changes are examined. Although Switzerland earns a reputation of having a humanitarian tradition, the results show that the restrictiveness at the national level has been increasing and the Conven-tion on the Rights of the Child is implemented on a minimum level with a focus on the eventual removal of the child. Regarding the drivers of the policy changes, several factors like the migration stock, the recognition rate, the Swiss people’s party and the annual GDP per capita show high cor-relations with policy restrictiveness. The results contradict Switzerland’s humanitarian reputation and rather seem to point to a liberal paradox effect.
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Papers by Carola Schabert