ÌÇÐÄ´«Ã½

The ESCAPES project (Safe Pathways to Protection for Displaced Populations in Canada and Europe) studies national and international responses to forced displacement from a comparative perspective. 

The project builds on the recognition that, in both Canada and Europe, refugee admission policies adopted in response to recent large-scale displacement situations have varied significantly in terms of numbers of people admitted, admission instruments and procedures, and the rights granted to beneficiaries upon arrival. Differences in the treatment of people with similar protection needs raise questions in terms of equity of access, fairness, and non-discrimination, while also highlighting issues of predictability and effectiveness in international responses to refugee movements. 

ESCAPES compares policy approaches in Canada and a group of EU Member States (Germany, Italy, and Sweden), with particular attention to the evolving role of the European Union in shaping Member States’ refugee admission policies.

The project seeks to improve understanding of the policy, legal, and institutional factors shaping states’ use (or non-use) of refugee resettlement and complementary pathways, the ways in which beneficiaries experience admission procedures and access to post-arrival support systems, and the cross-cutting normative issues raised by existing admission policies.

ESCAPES adopts an interdisciplinary qualitative research design combining comparative policy and legal analysis, interviews with policy actors and refugees admitted through resettlement and complementary pathways, and normative analysis of the key issues raised by current refugee admission systems.

The methodology includes the following main components:

• Policy and legal analysis: systematic examination of refugee admission policies and practices adopted in Canada, Germany, Italy, and Sweden in response to different displacement situations (notably the Syrian, Afghan, and Ukrainian situations).
• Policy actor interviews: semi-structured interviews with policymakers, representatives of international organizations, and civil society actors involved in the design and implementation of refugee admission pathways, aimed at examining key institutional dynamics and decision-making processes.
• Refugee interviews: individual and group interviews with admitted beneficiaries to examine lived experiences, barriers to access, and post-arrival interactions with protection and support systems in the receiving countries.
• Policy workshops: closed-door workshops bringing together selected policy makers, practitioners and experts in Canada and Europe to discuss preliminary research findings.
• Normative analysis: assessment of key normative issues raised by current admission systems, including in terms of fairness, non-discrimination, and access to rights, in light of relevant international and regional protection frameworks.

ESCAPES will generate new comparative evidence on how refugee admission pathways are designed and implemented across different political and legal contexts. The project will examine the configuration of different refugee admission infrastructures – including their legal, operational, and social dimensions – and the role played by different actors in shaping the scope and features of admission responses. It will also expand existing knowledge on how displaced people navigate these systems and experience barriers to admission and protection. The research carried out in the project will also help identify key principles and criteria to strengthen equity and accountability in refugee admission programmes, while informing policy options for a more predictable and effective use of these pathways. 

Key project deliverables include working papers, policy briefs, peer-reviewed academic articles, conference presentations, stakeholder workshops, and additional public engagement and knowledge mobilization activities involving policymakers, practitioners and refugee-supporting organisations in Canada and Europe.