The intersection of counter-terrorism, migration and border control policies in the European Union: the securitisation of migration?

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Kabata, M, 2022. The intersection of counter-terrorism, migration and border control policies in the European Union: the securitisation of migration? PhD, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

Over the years, migration has been presented in Europe as a threat to the economy, labour market, culture and also security. The migration-security nexus has become a topic of growing interest among scholars in the face of events such as the 9/11 attacks and the ‘Migration Crisis’ (2015). The latter was a significant challenge for the European Union (EU) as it put pressure on the EU’s operational capabilities and questioned solidarity amongst the Member States. This situation was furthermore affected by several terrorist attacks which became framed in relation to the flow of irregular migrants and asylum seekers. This thesis addresses the intersection between counter-terrorism, migration and border control policies in the EU between 1986 and 2017. Hence, it covers a long period that considers the foundational stages of these policies in the EU. It studies the perception of migration as a threat through the adoption of the securitisation theory, especially focusing on securitisation through the association of migration with terrorism. It does so by offering a historical overview of developments in these policies, analysing the EU discourse and selected security practices as well as how they have become legitimised. Analysing forty-four EU documents, it distinguishes several strands in the discourse on migration, terrorism and border control which present duality in the construction of migration, similarities in the representation of migrants and terrorists as well as how the discourse on border control constructs both of them as a threat. The analysis of the securitisation through practices demonstrates an increase of impediments to irregular migration, an increase of use of technology and biometrics and an extension of the scope of the purposes of the tools. In sum, this thesis confirms the growing perception of the intersection between counter-terrorism, migration and border control policies which contributes to the securitisation of migration.

Item Type:	Thesis
Creators:	Kabata, M.
Date:	March 2022
Rights:	The copyright in this work is held by the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed to the author.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	21 Mar 2023 15:34
Last Modified:	21 Mar 2023 15:34
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/48575