Europe at the Edge of Pluralism

This volume tackles contemporary problems of legal accommodation of diversity in Europe and recent developments in the area in diverse European legal regimes. Despite professing the motto Unity in Diversity Europe appears to be struggling with discord rather than unity. Legal discussions reflect a crisis when it comes to matters of migration, accommodation of minorities and dealing with the growing heterogeneity of European societies. This volume illustrates that the current legal conundrums stem from European oscillation between, on the one hand, acknowledging the need of accommodation, and, on the other, the tendencies to preserve existing legal traditions. It claims that these opposite tendencies have led Europe to the edge of pluralism. This 'edge', just as the linguistic interpretation of the word 'edge', carries multiple meanings conveying a plethora of problems encountered by law when dealing with diversity. The authors attempt to explore and illustrate these multiple edges of pluralism tracing back their origins and examining the contemporary legal conundrums they have led to. The volume encourages the readers to explore whether there are fundamental problems with approaches to diversity and if so can they be rescued from their current precarious position. It asks whether Europe at the edge is truly capable to unite in diversity and develop a constructive approach to its growing pluralism. The book is aimed at academics, practitioners and students focusing their work on contemporary problems of diversity, multiculturalism and accommodation of migrants as well as everybody interested in the area.

Magdalena Kmak is a Lecturer in International Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki and researcher at the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights. She is also a co-director (together with Dr Dorota A. Gozdecka) of the project Law and the Other in Post-Multicultural Europe. Magdalena's research focuses on legal rules regulating administrative detention of immigrants. The overarching objective of her research project is to address the problem of increasing use of detention of foreigners and to explore the rationality behind the establishment and functioning of this institution as well as its intricate ties to the international human rights instruments. Her other research interests encompass international and European refugee and migration law, human rights, public international law, governmentality, new penology and nomadism.