They still continue to knock: The EU’s securitization of irregular migration from North Africa (2015-present)

• Main Author: Benito, John Louis B.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2024
• Subjects: Illegal immigration > European Union countries; European Union; Africa, North; Eastern European Studies
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_intlstud/43; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdm_intlstud/article/1042/viewcontent/2024_Benito_They_still_continue_to_knock__The_EU_s_securitization_of_irregula.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The study generally presented the securitization of irregular migration from North Africa (2015-present). However, it deals explicitly with figuring out why the EU continued to securitize the issue despite knowing the reasons for such an occurrence. Using document analysis and Copenhagen School as a theoretical guide, this research answers the following questions: (1) How did the EU securitize irregular migration from North Africa (2015-Present)? (2) Why did the EU not desecuritize irregular migration from North Africa? and (3) What are the implications of the EU’s failure to desecuritize irregular migration from North Africa (2015-Present)? Results demonstrated that the EU was able to securitize the issue through the power of its agencies and leaders, creating securitizing moves accepted by the citizens of the EU as the audience. It continued due to a lack of desecuritization fueled by the influence of right-wing media and political parties, implying a lack of audience empowerment as well as the continuous influx of irregular migrants from North Africa. The study concludes that the EU must embrace tackling the root causes of migration, mainly by undergoing desecuritization with consideration of its context. Keywords: Copenhagen School, Desecuritization, EU, Irregular Migration, North Africa