The Influence of National Institutions on Post-Arrival Enforcement Regimes; Institutional change in Federalist Belgium and a Centralized Netherlands

This qualitative research follows earlier research conducted on the immigration and deportation policies of various E.U. member states, which have showcased varying policies and policy changes nationally, even within the overarching structure of E.U. policy with regard to migration into the shared borders of the E.U. and its Schengen Zone. It will focus on E.U. member states Belgium and the Netherlands, as a result of their proximity, and variation with regard to policies of deportation. Through theories on irregular migration, institutionalism and institutional layering or change, an attempt is made to highlight the national, unique contexts in which member state policies regarding irregular migration and deportation take shape. It is argued here that the culturally and historically unique national contexts, and the resulting unique institutional scripts influence the possibilities for change with regard to institutions and actors dealing with deportation. This in turn partly influences the national policies, tools, and outcomes of the varying national post-arrival enforcement regimes in the E.U.