dc.description.abstract | The paper is focused on migration trends from the MENA region
and their impact on Serbia, from the point of view of Serbia’s
positions and relations with the neighbouring countries along the
Western Balkan route, and also with the European Union. Serbia’s aspirations towards joining the EU have arguably presented the
most important impetus for the development of national policies
and practices towards migrants during the migration “crisis”. The
paper deploys the theoretical framework developed by Tanja A.
Börzel and Thomas Risse on mechanisms of diffusion in “usage”
by the European Union. The suggested mechanisms of diffusion
can be divided in the following way: coercion, manipulation of
utility calculations, socialization, persuasion and emulation. The
author of the paper scrutinizes each of the mentioned in order to
describe and analyze the extent of the transformative power of the
European Union regarding Serbia’s policies and practices during
the migration “crisis”. The chapter on theoretical background is
followed by chapter on relations between Serbia and neighbouring
countries (first of all FYROM, Croatia and Hungary). Not all of
them are EU member states (FYROM) and not all of them joined
the EU long time ago (Hungary and Croatia become EU member
states in 2004 and 2013 respectively). Serbia has a shared past with
Croatia and FYROM, with the disintegration of the joint country
in 1990. Many war “traumas” from the 1990s revived, especially
in the second half of 2015 between Croatia and Serbia. Contrary to
that, relations between Serbia and two other neighbouring countries
during the migration “crisis” were that of rather good neighbours,
however not without tensions. In the following chapter, the focus
is on the issues of migration management in Serbia, from the point
of view of its candidacy and integration into the European Union.
Serbia’s road to the EU has been paved by numerous challenges,
many of which have been related to migration of its own citizens.
One of the most prominent challenges was that regarding the
readmission of Serbia’s nationals illegally staying in the EU.
However, in the current situation, Serbia was in the EU’s focus due
to its position within the Western Balkan route. National policies
and practices towards asylum seekers have been in compliance to a
large extent with the EU’s requirements, motivated by Serbia’s wish
to obtain positive progress reports and to approach to the EU funds.
In its view, through the conduct in the migration „crisis“, Serbia has
been demonstrating its reliability and responsibility and even more
important, its capacities to become a member state of the EU. | sr |