Description
There is a consensus among academics that migrants and refugees have been increasingly securitised in Europe. Political practices and media discourse have portrayed them as a security threat. This raises ethical and human rights questions, especially because the securitisation is taking place within the EU framework. This panel will unpack different dimensions of securitisation, and will throw light on its connection to far-right rise, terrorism and the biometricised governance regime. It focuses on the securitisation of migrants and refugees in Europe, highlighting historical and political dimensions. Two papers of the panel will analyse securitisation practices through a historical lens. The first will examine parallels between the 1930s and 40s on the one hand and today on the other hand, by scrutinising debates in the political arena and the media. The second will look into the EU’s historical decisions and actions that led to an increasingly securitised refugee and asylum policy, viewing these processes through an ethical point of view. Furthermore, another paper will examine the link between the constructed security threat that refugees pose with Daesh terrorism. It will analyse hybrid security conflicts, including hate speech towards migrants and refugees and the far-right rise in Europe. The next paper will focus on EU border policies, characterised by heightened securitisation and biometricisation, questioning the usage of biometric technology as a normal and safe medium for ensuring security at the borders, taking under consideration the market-oriented reading of this technologised hegemonic context.
