Weapons or Victims? The impact of weaponized migration on the European Union’s self-perception and identity
(2022) FKVK02 20221Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- This thesis examines how the European Parliament portrays weaponized
migration, a phenomenon in which states mobilize migrants against another state to
force concessions. Furthermore, the thesis analyses how instances of weaponized
migration impact European identity. The theory of ontological security is applied
to analyse the threat constructions and changes in self-perception these incidents
may trigger. Morocco’s weaponization of migration against Spain and Belarus’s
weaponization against Poland are analysed through a comparative research design.
The results display that Belarus’s actions caused greater ontological insecurity for the European Parliament than Morocco’s. While the political left views the
migrants as... (More) - This thesis examines how the European Parliament portrays weaponized
migration, a phenomenon in which states mobilize migrants against another state to
force concessions. Furthermore, the thesis analyses how instances of weaponized
migration impact European identity. The theory of ontological security is applied
to analyse the threat constructions and changes in self-perception these incidents
may trigger. Morocco’s weaponization of migration against Spain and Belarus’s
weaponization against Poland are analysed through a comparative research design.
The results display that Belarus’s actions caused greater ontological insecurity for the European Parliament than Morocco’s. While the political left views the
migrants as victims in both situations, the right perceives them as an existential
threat even when the coercer state is not viewed as dangerous. The thesis also
reveals that the left will attempt to reinforce the perceived EU identity of being a human rights defender and global norm-setter. The political right will instead form an alternative identity based on being a protector of EU citizens, keeping the threat of migrants and the coercer state outside EU territory at any cost. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9081190
- author
- Sörman Ivarzon, Wilma LU
- supervisor
-
- Elsa Hedling LU
- organization
- course
- FKVK02 20221
- year
- 2022
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Weaponized migration, Refugee Portrayals, Ontological Security, European identity
- language
- English
- id
- 9081190
- date added to LUP
- 2022-07-03 09:17:24
- date last changed
- 2022-07-03 09:17:24
@misc{9081190, abstract = {{This thesis examines how the European Parliament portrays weaponized migration, a phenomenon in which states mobilize migrants against another state to force concessions. Furthermore, the thesis analyses how instances of weaponized migration impact European identity. The theory of ontological security is applied to analyse the threat constructions and changes in self-perception these incidents may trigger. Morocco’s weaponization of migration against Spain and Belarus’s weaponization against Poland are analysed through a comparative research design. The results display that Belarus’s actions caused greater ontological insecurity for the European Parliament than Morocco’s. While the political left views the migrants as victims in both situations, the right perceives them as an existential threat even when the coercer state is not viewed as dangerous. The thesis also reveals that the left will attempt to reinforce the perceived EU identity of being a human rights defender and global norm-setter. The political right will instead form an alternative identity based on being a protector of EU citizens, keeping the threat of migrants and the coercer state outside EU territory at any cost.}}, author = {{Sörman Ivarzon, Wilma}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{Weapons or Victims? The impact of weaponized migration on the European Union’s self-perception and identity}}, year = {{2022}}, }