Central European Papers 2015, 3(2):99-110 | DOI: 10.25142/cep.2015.020

Rethinking the concept of failed state

Ilona SZUHAI
Bevándorlási és Állampolgársági Tanszék, Rendészettudományi kar, Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem, Department of Immigration and Nationality, Faculty of Law Enforcement, National University of Public, Service, 12 Farkasvölgyi Street, H-1121 Budapest, Hungary, Szuhai.Ilona@uni-nke.hu

This study summarises the history of failed state concept, the difficulties of a clear definition of failed state and the reasons why the categories of various linking expressions like weak, fragile, failing, collapsed states are mixing. 2015 remained a turbulent year of conflicts in the world, which drew attention on failed states. One of the symptoms of failed states is the form of forced migration when people leave their home due to intrastate armed conflicts, terrorist activities, brutal violation of human rights, poverty, lack of humanitarian aid and poor public services. The study outlines the connection with security and one of the biggest actual global phenomena, the mass refugee movements. That has become in the focus of the European discourse due to the humanitarian catastrophe in the Mediterranean. The current measurement of instable states is problematic which has strong impact on interventions and aid operations.

Keywords: Failed states, fragile state index, instable states, mass migration, Iraq

Published: September 1, 2015  Show citation

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SZUHAI I. Rethinking the concept of failed state. Central European Papers. 2015;3(2):99-110. doi: 10.25142/cep.2015.020.
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