Which European reception model is most likely to enhance asylum seekers’ wellbeing? A comparative analysis of Hungary and Italy, 2003-2019

Despite the Reception Directive laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers in the European Union, reception has become an increasingly contentious issue that is a source of ongoing political tensions and divisions. Drawing on accounts of Italy and Hungary, this research argues that European reception requirements are irreconcilable with the current overall European migration framework. Over the years, we have witnessed a deliberate shift from asylum management to the management of asylum control in which asylum seekers are included in society through their constituted exclusion. This politics of deterrence and containment nevertheless hides behind purposes of humanitarianism, but remains inherently incompatible with human rights and above all, the wellbeing of asylum seekers.