ABSTRACT
Debates around diversity and standardization in Europe have taken many forms and drawn on many different instances and case studies. This chapter focuses on the case of refugees and the policies and practices recently developed in Europe to deal with them. The development of European policy regarding asylum is one of the most ambitious attempts to standardize practice across the European Union (EU). The term diversity as commonly used in social policy/sociology discussions has two main senses: first, differences between people in cultural, linguistic, gender, ethnic and religious terms. Diversity in the second sense refers to different policy responses, to 'manage' that diversity whether at organizational or state level. The Treaty of Amsterdam of 1997, ratified by EU member states in 1999, is aimed at establishing a common area of freedom, security and justice. It includes issues relating to borders, free movement of people, and immigration.
