Norway’s Readmission Agreements: Spellbound by European Union Policies or Free Spirits on the International Field?

Abstract

This article offers an analysis of the objective and substance of Norway’s readmission agreements in light of European Union readmission policies. It explores how readmission policy developments on the EU level also impact Norway’s practice, and argues that EU practice influences Norway’s work on readmission in three important ways. First, as part of a preventative strategic policy, Norway seeks to conclude readmission agreements with countries with which EU readmission agreements (EURA) exist. Second, EU visa facilitation agreements that are paired with EURAs form an indirect link between EU and Norwegian readmission agreements. Third, Norway uses the EURA-format as a basis for negotiations even with countries where no EURA exists. This article also examines Norway’s participation in the EU Global Approach on Migration and Mobility (GAMM), and finds that it is limited by the GAMM being only tangentially within the Schengen cooperation, and also by national political perceptions about linking readmission and development aid.