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A necessary complement to human rights: a human security perspective on migration to Europe

Author

Listed:
  • Bilgic, A.
  • Gasper, D.R.
  • Wilcock, C.A.

Abstract

Today many European citizens and many migrants into Europe live under fear and anxiety. Existing political structures dichotomize the two sets of insecurities and so contribute to perpetuate them. The insecurity of citizens is seen as attainable independent of and despite the insecurity of migrants, rather than as part of a common (shared) human security. In response, this essay presents ideas from human security analysis, as a partner, complement and extension of human rights thinking in relation to migration. It is argued that such an analysis, with concrete practical options, can contribute to the creation of structures through which interdependency of EU citizens’ security and that of migrants is recognised and upheld. Section 2 outlines the migration crisis that has been felt in Europe and some reasons behind it. Section 3 considers the responses of securitization of migration and militarization at the EU’s southern borders, and of supplementary humanitarianism. We analyse why the EU migration policy system, conceived outside of a conception of common human security, produces negative feedback and is counterproductive. In Section 4 we argue in general terms why human security analysis is a required partner to human rights thinking and practice. Section 5 then concretely suggests how a human security perspective could help to frame, balance and extend human rights analysis and contribute in migration policy and practice. These suggestions include generating legal channels for migration, addressing the conceptual confusions revolving around migration through introducing a more comprehensive concept of ‘protection-seeker’, developing a European-wide regularisation mechanism, using human security as a meta-legal figure in migration cases, and developing a perspective that combines human rights criteria with enlightened self-interest. Finally, Section 6 discusses the partial reflection of such a perspective in the 2018 Global Compact on Migration.

Suggested Citation

  • Bilgic, A. & Gasper, D.R. & Wilcock, C.A., 2020. "A necessary complement to human rights: a human security perspective on migration to Europe," ISS Working Papers - General Series 128107, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
  • Handle: RePEc:ems:euriss:128107
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Oscar A. Gomez & Des Gasper & Yoichi Mine, 2016. "Moving Development and Security Narratives a Step Further: Human Security in the Human Development Reports," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(1), pages 113-129, January.
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    6. Daniel Leithold, 2016. "Asylum in Europe," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 13(4), pages 55-58, 02.
    7. Frank Laczko & Ann Singleton & Julia Black, 2017. "Improving Data on Missing Migrants," Working Papers id:12108, eSocialSciences.
    8. Andrew W. Neal, 2009. "Securitization and Risk at the EU Border: The Origins of FRONTEX," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47, pages 333-356, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gasper, D.R. & Jolly, R. & Koehler, G. & Kool, T.A. & Simane, M., 2020. "Adding human security and human resilience to help advance the SDGs agenda," ISS Working Papers - General Series 131247, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
    2. Suzan Ilcan, 2021. "The Border Harms of Human Displacement: Harsh Landscapes and Human Rights Violations," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-16, March.

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    Keywords

    human security; human rights; migration; securitization; European Union; Global Compact on Migration;
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