Migration in the Mediterranean : is it a security threat?

Abstract

The post-Arab Spring migration surge from and through the southern Mediterranean into the European Union has been accompanied by a rise in threat perceptions in the countries of destination. While viewing migration as a security issue is not new, migration is increasingly being referred to in one breath with terrorism and organised crime as a new security threat in the Euro-Mediterranean context. But is this an appropriate approach to the phenomenon of migration? Can migration be considered a security issue, in the same way that terrorism and organised crime are? What is the link between migration and terrorism and organised crime? The essay will argue that it is incorrect and misleading to use the term migration while considering security challenges, and will consider other terms that can help us to understand aspects of migration that may be useful in formulating the claim that in some cases migration can be considered a security issue, relevant for national security and/or human security. It then asks the question ‘whose security’ is relevant in such a debate – the security of states or humans? Furthermore, the essay will explore the link of migration to terrorism and organised crime.