Mezinárodní rozměr imigrační politiky

The relation between the immigration policies and state sovereignty in the European Union (EU) is both a most topical and controversial issue. The dissertation is conceived as a disciplinary interpretative study based on the concept of four types of sovereignty by S. Krasner. This approach allows to interpret the seeming contradiction between a state perceived as a sole actor in the area of immigration policy and the communitarization of the immigration policy at the EU level. By using the analysis of discourse as well as of practice, this thesis acknowledges shifts of power to the EU, but stresses that these shifts represent strengthening of other factors of power and control at the same time. Thus, in certain, particularly security, aspects, European harmonization of immigration policy can reinforce state sovereignty. It applies to the external as well as internal dimensions of the EU immigration policy that a part of the policy remains to be decided at the national level. Nevertheless, also the communitarized area offers the member states a significant room for discretion. Thus, there is still considerable tension between the idea of solidarity between member states on one hand and their national interests on the other and the common European immigration policy remains to be achieved in future.