To Share or Not to Share Responsibility? Finnish Refugee Policy and the Hesitant Support for a Common European Asylum System

This article outlines the policy of the Finnish government in relation to the development of a Common European Asylum System (CEAS). Finland has traditionally displayed a strong commitment to international cooperation. Yet, during the European so-called refugee crisis, when Finland experienced a 10-fold increase in the number of asylum seekers, some politicians hesitated to support the decision to relocate asylum seekers within the European Union. The article contributes to the analysis of Europeanization by describing how a Eurosceptic opposition to EU asylum policy can also emerge in member states that have an interest in supporting common asylum policies.