Approaching Southeastern Europe from Brussels: Migration Policies as Security and Stability Instruments for the EU

Vortrag von Ruth Ferrero-Turrión (Madrid) im Forschungskolloquium "Geschichte und Sozialanthropologie Südost‐ und Osteuropas".

Das Kolloquium wird vom Lehrstuhl für Geschichte Südost– und  Osteuropas der Universität Regensburg und dem IOS veranstaltet.

Kooperation: Graduiertenschule für Ost- und Südosteuropastudien, Leibniz-WissenschaftsCampus "Europa und Amerika in der modernen Welt".

Abstract:

European migration policies have primarily focused on two main issues: control and security. As early as 2003, with the adoption of the Solana Strategy, migration was introduced onto the EU's political agenda as a security concern. In the years that followed, a comprehensive system of securitization and externalization of migration policies was established. The recent Pact on Migration and Asylumis the latest in a series of political documents aimed at the same goal: controlling migration flows.

Southeastern Europe is no exception to this trend. While Croatia and Slovenia are already EU members, the countries of the Western Balkans are candidates for EU membership. This candidate status is a significant factor in their relationship with the EU, as migration has become a key issue in negotiations. In many cases, the handling of migration is seen as a trade-off to receive EU funding, while at the same time, it has become a reason for these countries' exclusion from the EU enlargement process.