Refugee Policy As ‘Negative Nation Branding’: The Case of Denmark and the Nordic

Revised version published in Danish Foreign Policy Yearbook, 2017

21 Pages Posted: 27 Sep 2021

See all articles by Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen

Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen

University of Copenhagen - MOBILE - Center of Excellence for Global Mobility Law

Date Written: January 10, 2017

Abstract

Once a liberal frontrunner, Denmark today maintains a self-declared hard-line approach to refugees. In contrast to other deterrence measures blocking access to asylum per se, the bulk of Denmark’s restrictions on asylum-seeking aim to make asylum and protection conditions in Denmark as unattractive as possible, thereby indirectly pushing asylum-seekers towards other countries. This article conceptualizes such indirect deterrence policies in Europe as a form of “negative nation branding”. In order to achieve the deterrent effect of these policies, states are, on the one hand, prompted to advertise new restrictions actively both in public discourse and through targeted campaigns towards migrants and refugees. On the other hand, this kind of branding is likely to prompt critical responses among wider audiences both internationally and domestically. Contrary to the majority of existing scholarship, the Danish case suggests that, at least under some circumstances, indirect deterrence may be an effective strategy in reducing the numbers of asylum-seekers arriving in a country. At the same time, however, indirect deterrence is likely to create a number of negative externalities, and the beggar-thy-neighbour dynamics upon which these policies are premised make individual countries vulnerable to similar policy developments in neighbouring states, thus reducing, or even reversing, the deterrent effect over time.

Keywords: Human rights, immigration policy, law, migration, refugees, asylum

Suggested Citation

Gammeltoft-Hansen, Thomas, Refugee Policy As ‘Negative Nation Branding’: The Case of Denmark and the Nordic (January 10, 2017). Revised version published in Danish Foreign Policy Yearbook, 2017 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3902589 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3902589

Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen (Contact Author)

University of Copenhagen - MOBILE - Center of Excellence for Global Mobility Law ( email )

Karen Blixens Plads 16
Copenhagen, 2300
Denmark

HOME PAGE: http://mobilitylaw.ku.dk

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