No not them! But yes over there.

No not them! But yes over there.

Bias in European Refugee Systems: Part III

This is part three of a four-part series on refugee systems in the European Union. Part one can be found here and part two here.
As Ukrainian refugees rushed across the borders into their neighboring countries, the European Union (EU) rushed to pass policies and guidelines to handle the large influx of displaced families and people. The Syrian Crisis had already stretched resources in many EU member countries, making the situation more challenging.
The European Union (EU) had established a Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) after the Balkan wars in the 1990s (Mickelsson, 2025) however it was not used until the Ukrainian crisis started in 2022. The Syrian Crisis, notably, did not trigger this policy. The policy initially grants the asylum seeker one year of protection which can be extended in six month increments for up to two more years (Mickelsson, 2025).
Let’s first examine the Syrian population that is predominately Muslim; to many, Muslim equals terrorist even though most Muslims are not violent extremists. Using Mickelsson’s (2025) aspects the perception is that allowing in a population that might harbor terrorists is a security threat. Add to the fact that Syrians are typically non-white, and they end up with two strikes against them.
Now let’s scrutinize the Ukrainian population. They are traditionally white and with similar values to their neighbors in the EU. They also are being displaced by a perceived common enemy; one that could threaten the EU countries. All of this adds up to Ukrainians refugees being viewed as a low security threat and a natural cultural fit.
When the EU began accepting Ukrainian refugees, they modified their visa policy to allow for a one year stay instead of the previous ninety days (Sipahioğlu, 2023). Sipahioğlu further describes that Syrian refugees did not receive the visa extensions nor were they able to legally obtain work. It is difficult to establish permanent residency when you are unable to work and provide for your family.
The final post in the series will explore next steps and a framework for how to mitigate discrimination.

Mickelsson, Tony Blomqvist. "Ukrainian Refugees’ Differentiated Treatment: A Critical and Systematic Review." Global Networks, vol. 25, no. 1, 2025, pp. 1-14, Google Scholar, doi:10.1111/glob.12502

Sipahioğlu, Buket Ökten,. “A Review of Discrimination and Labeling of Refugees Using the Example of Syrian and Ukrainian Refugees.” Journal of Social Policy Conferences, vol. 0, no. 84, 2023, pp. 191-198, Google Scholar, doi:10.26650/jspc.2023.84.1172157
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