Bound Volume Number
4
Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-1-2015
Capstone Advisor
Azra Hromadzic, Assistant Professor
Honors Reader
Goodwin Cooke, Professor Emeritus
Capstone Major
International Relations
Capstone College
Arts and Science
Audio/Visual Component
no
Keywords
Bosnian refugees, Germany, Sweden, humanitarian, international law
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
no
Honors Categories
Social Sciences
Subject Categories
International and Area Studies | International Relations
Abstract
The aim of this project is to explain what factors account for the differentials in treatment of Bosnian refugees in Sweden and Germany. Although both of these states are signatories of the same international conventions that govern states’ humanitarian obligations toward refugees, the resources available to the refugees varied greatly between both countries, which in turn influenced the lived experiences of the Bosnian refugees. This paper examines these discrepancies within the contexts of ideas about national citizenship, the existence of governmental institutions designed to foster refugee integration, and external, non-state factors such as the media and other charitable organizations that were capable of impacting refugee experiences. My research was primarily conducted through an examination of academic sources, including books, journal articles, and scholarly studies. I also relied heavily upon individual interviews conducted by academic researchers as well as primary source documents from both the Swedish and German governments. My research revealed in full form the true complexity of the reasons for the discrepancies and discontinuities in the treatment of Bosnian refugees. The distinctive political and social histories of Sweden and Germany provided yet another rich and complicated dimension to my project. Although my capstone is centered on two specific case studies, the lessons learned from them are invaluable when discussing the wider implications of incorporating humanitarian standards in international laws and agreements.
Recommended Citation
Beyer, Brittany S., "A Refugee Paradox? Processes of Inclusion and Exclusion of Bosnian Refugees in Germany and Sweden" (2015). Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All. 840.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/840
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