As políticas dos países-membros da União Europeia sobre securitização dos fluxos migratórios do Norte da África: os casos da Espanha e da Itália

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze how Spain and Italy securitized the migration flows from North African countries in the 2000s first decade. In that context, the supposed growth of the African migration flow to South Europe influenced the intensification of bilateral agreements between European Union’ member states and North African countries to contain irregular migration from that region. In turn, the European Union is an important actor for the securitization of migration by its members, especially in settling agreements to manage the migration flows. The European financial and technical contribution was the key to the joint operations against African migrations. An exploratory research is carried out using qualitative methods to understand the securitization of migration process in Spain and Italy. Despite these countries acted accordingly to their own agendas, at the same time they preferred to follow the European Union politics to manage the African migration in 2000s first decade. The analysis of Spain’s and Italy’s cases present contradictory actions of these countries, especially because they securitized migrations flows, and at the same time they took advantage of migrants’ cheap labor as well. By extension, the main purpose of the dialogues with North African countries was to contain migration, but according to the literature, they were unable to achieve this purpose. Finally, it has been observed that it is necessary other policies that do not endanger the lives of migrants, often treated arbitrarily by joint operations against the phenomenon of migration under the agreements.