ESCAPES – Safe Pathways to Protection for Displaced Populations in Canada and Europe

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 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. It also examines how beneficiaries experience admission procedures and access to post-arrival support systems, as well as the cross-cutting normative issues raised by existing admission policies.

ESCAPES adopts an interdisciplinary research design combining comparative policy 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:

• Comparative policy 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.
• Refugee interviews: qualitative interviews with admitted beneficiaries to examine how they experience admission procedures and post-arrival support in receiving countries.
• Policy workshops: closed-door workshops bringing together selected policy makers and practitioners 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 refugee protection and human rights 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 refugee admission infrastructures – including their legal, institutional, and operational 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 outputs include working papers, policy briefs, academic articles, conference presentations. The project also foresees stakeholder workshops to support engagement with policymakers, practitioners and refugee-supporting organisations in Canada and Europe.