Abstract
The paper analyses the categorization of immigration as a security threat in times of crisis. A new wave of securitization measures started after the events of 9/11, which amounted to what has by now been commonly known as the Global War on Terror. However, there have also been other periods which have intensified the link between migration and security such as the European refugee crisis or the COVID-19 pandemic. These last two events have a strong point in common, which is this use of the term ‘crisis’ to refer to a particular situation and justify the reinforcement of border policies and refrain incoming migration. I analyse these three events, as they have been three clear moments in our century in which strong security measures have been established to contend or prevent immigration in the name of national security. Examples of these policies and actions have been related to the reinforcement of border control, harshening administrative processes to access asylum or refugee status, return or detention of immigrants, and a long etcetera.This study argues that in particular times, due to a succession of events that lead to instability, there has been a ‘crisification’ of migration, understood as the treatment of migration as a security threat amounting to these so-called ‘crises’. These are not only phenomena that justify the application of extraordinary measures for extraordinary times, but there has been a routinization of measures connecting migration to security that have been extended over time, crisis after crisis.
Presenters
Laura PlanasPostdoctoral Researcher, International Public Law and International Relations, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—The World on the Move: Understanding Migration in a New Global Age
KEYWORDS
Securitization, Crisis, National Security, Migration
