January 21, 2025

International Politics and Conflict Resolution

Daniela Nascimento

This thesis investigates the relation between forced migration and European Union policies through a critical analysis of the prevailing policies and structures of border control externalization within the European context over the past decades. By providing a broad overview of the historical evolution of European migration and asylum policies, the thesis examines the key political contexts that have enabled the development of this migration management architecture during the period from 2003 to 2020. To illustrate the complexity of the political and human contexts underlying these processes, the thesis analyses illustrative cases of specific dynamics in the externalization of migration control to third countries, notably Libya and Turkey.The analysis is framed within a dialogue between critical security studies and critical migration studies, aiming to assess the nature of the structures and relationships established between the actors involved in these processes, as well as the consequences from the perspective of protecting the human rights of those forced to migrate. In light of the EU's declared normative commitments to respect, protect, and promote human rights, this study seeks to develop an analysis of the mutually constitutive interaction between the narratives of security and control and those of solidarity and protection. Through a qualitative analysis of policy documents, expert interviews, and a review of relevant literature, this study aims to: (1) understand how security policies have shaped the framework for externalizing the logic and structure of border control over time; (2) explore the impact of these policies on regional stability and security; and (3) contribute to ongoing debates about the ethical dilemmas and consequences resulting from these practices of border control externalization.By revealing the complex dynamics at play, this thesis offers a broader understanding of the challenges and contradictions inherent in the EU's approach to migration management. It concludes that the architecture composed of mechanisms and policies for controlling and managing the EU's external borders has contributed to the perpetuation of violent and exclusionary practices towards forced migrants. The externalization of migration management, as an umbrella concept for various practices, alongside the increasing militarization of borders, has resulted in the creation of exclusion zones where access to asylum and international protection becomes almost impossible. These practices, which include arbitrary detentions, forced deportations, and the blocking of migration routes, have placed forced migrants in situations of extreme vulnerability and danger.Additionally, there is a significant disconnect between the obligations to promote and protect human rights enshrined in the EU's founding treaties and the nature of border control practices at the EU's external borders and in the Mediterranean. This situation weakens the principles underpinning the narrative of peace and solidarity that the European Union advocates, but also creates a normative vacuum that legitimizes alternative narratives of discrimination, exclusion, and violence, undermining the integrity of the European political community.