Assessment of European Union’s Migration Policy: A Case Study of Europeanization in Italy and Hungary with a Focus on the Implications for Human Rights of Migrants

This thesis seeks to investigate the challenges and complexities of implementing the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) in Italy and Hungary, and how much their national migration policies align with EU standards and goals. Italy and Hungary are key cases because they are at the front line of major migration routes – the Mediterranean and Balkan routes, where migration requires tailored responses. In light of this review, Europeanization is used as a conceptual framework to examines the factors that influence each country’s transposition of CEAS directives, national sovereignty, political considerations and administrative capacity. By comparing Italy’s approach to Mediterranean arrivals with Hungary’s strict control along the Balkan route, this thesis looks at the different interpretations of CEAS directives and the varying levels of compliance. Additionally, it looks at how each nation's migration policy fit into the EU's goal of a unified asylum system. By examining these dynamics, the research underscores the continued controversies and challenges of EU migration policies and the struggle between nationalistic interests and a common European commitment to protect migrants’ rights.