A joint initiative between the University of Bergen
and CMI – Chr. Michelsen Institute
Nations in the global south, such as Ethiopia, are exerting greater influence over the return process than previously perceived.
Flickr Asnake Kefale
Associate Professor, Addis Ababa University
Securing cooperation from origin countries for the return of rejected asylum seekers has become increasingly challenging. In this presentation, we will share key findings from a collaborative research study by Norwegian and Ethiopian scholars on the politics of return cooperation between Norway and Ethiopia.
Our research reveals a significant “power shift” in return cooperation dynamics. Despite the traditional dominance of global north countries, nations in the global south, such as Ethiopia, are exerting greater influence over the return process than previously perceived.
Using a constructivist approach to international relations, we analyse the major factors influencing return cooperation through norms, interests, and practices at the international, national, and community levels. Our study identifies key elements shaping return cooperation.
One significant finding from our research is the alignment of European/Norwegian return policies and practices with international human rights norms, particularly the 1951 International Convention on Refugees. However, we observe a troubling trend: countries with poor human rights records have long disregarded their obligations to protect migrants and ensure due process. Alarmingly, this practice has extended to nations that have traditionally championed human rights—such as the United States under the current administration.
How do these recent developments influence the policy and cooperation of return agreements between global north and south countries?
Moderator: Lovise Aalen, CMI
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Asnake Kefale is an associate professor of Political Science at Addis Ababa University. He holds PhD in Political Science from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. His research focuses on federalism, conflict management, political economy, and migration.
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Political scientist focusing on democracy, governance and women's employment and empowement in the Horn of Africa
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Asnake Kefale is an associate professor of Political Science at Addis Ababa University. He holds PhD in Political Science from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. His research focuses on federalism, conflict management, political economy, and migration.
Dr. Kefale has several publications on issues of politics and migration. He co-edited, Youth on the Move Views from Below on Ethiopian International Migration (Hurst, 2021). Recent publications include among others: Asnake Kefale, Brekke JP, Brochmann G. The power switch in bilateral return migration management: the case of Norway and Ethiopia. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (2025); Yonas Tariku and Asnake Kefale. “Building a National Army: The Paradoxes of Civil–Military Relations in Ethiopia,” Armed Forces & Society (2024) and Asnake Kefale, ‘Political Changes, Constitutional Identities and Disruptions in Contemporary Ethiopia’ in Constitutional Identity and Constitutionalism in Africa (Oxford University Press, 2024)
Political scientist focusing on democracy, governance and women's employment and empowement in the Horn of Africa
Lovise Aalen has researched Ethiopian politics for the last two decades. She has focused on the implementation of ethnic federalism, the EPRDF’s ideas of revolutionary democracy and the developmental state, regime-youth interactions, and female political participation in authoritarian contexts.
Bergen Global is a joint initiative between the University of Bergen and Chr. Michelsen Institute that addresses global challenges.
