The Involvement of NGOs in Asylum Policy Decision-Making: The Case of Estonia

With the shift from government to governance and the increased demand for cooperation and coordination in public management during the past few decades, governments have made efforts to improve participatory policy-making. It can be tricky to involve stakeholders across sectors with different interests, resources, and perceptions, especially if the policy issue is controversial. The aim of this paper is to analyze the interaction dynamic of the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in asylum policy decision-making. The paper looks into the case of amending the legislative framework of the Estonian asylum system that was interfered with by the European migration crisis in 2015. The case highlights how the increased salience of the issue and the changing context influenced political decisionmaking and the way NGOs were involved. The findings show that although the context of crisis increased collaboration between the ministries and the NGOs on the policy implementation level, the involvement of NGOs in political decision-making deteriorated. The paper argues that at times when public debate on asylum policy grows more divisive, the decision-making process becomes more political, and the ability of NGOs to influence policy decisions becomes more likely through service provision rather than political debate.