Instrumentalized migration: avoiding the trap [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations, 1 not approved]
The article considers the European Union’s (EU) and its Member States’ capacities to face the challenge posed by instrumentalized migration as a hybrid threat activity. Instrumentalized migration in this context entails people being forcibly displaced towards an EU border and made to cross it to cla...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
F1000 Research Ltd
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Open Research Europe |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/4-251/v2 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850239959642931200 |
|---|---|
| author | Beth James Hanne Dumur-Laanila Annabel Miller Josip Mandić Gordan Akrap Maxime Lebrun Sophie Bujold Tanja Ellingsen |
| author_facet | Beth James Hanne Dumur-Laanila Annabel Miller Josip Mandić Gordan Akrap Maxime Lebrun Sophie Bujold Tanja Ellingsen |
| author_sort | Beth James |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article considers the European Union’s (EU) and its Member States’ capacities to face the challenge posed by instrumentalized migration as a hybrid threat activity. Instrumentalized migration in this context entails people being forcibly displaced towards an EU border and made to cross it to claim international protection with an aim of causing capacity overload, adverse reactions, or exerting larger pressure on the target state. Because global migration is a highly politicised and securitized issue in European and domestic politics, authoritarian states may see a strategic opportunity in instrumentalizing it their advantage. Responding strategically to instrumentalized migration requires identifying policy pitfalls and value traps while managing to maintain as many tools and as much space for manoeuvre as possible. Authoritarian states may use instrumentalized migration to further their wider agenda of turning international law into a system of rules which would primarily protect state sovereignty and non-interference at the expense of the international protection of human rights. Responses to instrumentalized migration have impacts and establish precedence in terms of acceptable state practice. Considering this, this article discusses the EU’s new Pact on Migration and Asylum and examines how it can be used to the advantage of Member States when dealing with instances of instrumentalized migration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c4bf4c29a0fe4715968958c4e50c60f7 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2732-5121 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | F1000 Research Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Research Europe |
| spelling | doaj-art-c4bf4c29a0fe4715968958c4e50c60f72025-08-20T02:01:00ZengF1000 Research LtdOpen Research Europe2732-51212025-04-01410.12688/openreseurope.18635.221911Instrumentalized migration: avoiding the trap [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations, 1 not approved]Beth James0https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1283-2656Hanne Dumur-Laanila1Annabel Miller2Josip Mandić3Gordan Akrap4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2666-596XMaxime Lebrun5Sophie Bujold6Tanja Ellingsen7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7724-616XRidgeway Information EU, Hague, 2595, The NetherlandsThe European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, Helsinki, Finland, 00130, FinlandRidgeway Information EU, Hague, 2595, The NetherlandsUniversity North, Koprivnica, 48 000, CroatiaDr Franjo Tuđman Defense and Security University, Zagreb, 10000, CroatiaThe European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, Helsinki, Finland, 00130, FinlandThe European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, Helsinki, Finland, 00130, FinlandFaculty of Social Sciences, Nord University, Bodø, Nordland, 8049, NorwayThe article considers the European Union’s (EU) and its Member States’ capacities to face the challenge posed by instrumentalized migration as a hybrid threat activity. Instrumentalized migration in this context entails people being forcibly displaced towards an EU border and made to cross it to claim international protection with an aim of causing capacity overload, adverse reactions, or exerting larger pressure on the target state. Because global migration is a highly politicised and securitized issue in European and domestic politics, authoritarian states may see a strategic opportunity in instrumentalizing it their advantage. Responding strategically to instrumentalized migration requires identifying policy pitfalls and value traps while managing to maintain as many tools and as much space for manoeuvre as possible. Authoritarian states may use instrumentalized migration to further their wider agenda of turning international law into a system of rules which would primarily protect state sovereignty and non-interference at the expense of the international protection of human rights. Responses to instrumentalized migration have impacts and establish precedence in terms of acceptable state practice. Considering this, this article discusses the EU’s new Pact on Migration and Asylum and examines how it can be used to the advantage of Member States when dealing with instances of instrumentalized migration.https://open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/4-251/v2Instrumentalized migration hybrid threats EU migration and asylum pacteng |
| spellingShingle | Beth James Hanne Dumur-Laanila Annabel Miller Josip Mandić Gordan Akrap Maxime Lebrun Sophie Bujold Tanja Ellingsen Instrumentalized migration: avoiding the trap [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations, 1 not approved] Open Research Europe Instrumentalized migration hybrid threats EU migration and asylum pact eng |
| title | Instrumentalized migration: avoiding the trap [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations, 1 not approved] |
| title_full | Instrumentalized migration: avoiding the trap [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations, 1 not approved] |
| title_fullStr | Instrumentalized migration: avoiding the trap [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations, 1 not approved] |
| title_full_unstemmed | Instrumentalized migration: avoiding the trap [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations, 1 not approved] |
| title_short | Instrumentalized migration: avoiding the trap [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations, 1 not approved] |
| title_sort | instrumentalized migration avoiding the trap version 2 peer review 1 approved 3 approved with reservations 1 not approved |
| topic | Instrumentalized migration hybrid threats EU migration and asylum pact eng |
| url | https://open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/4-251/v2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bethjames instrumentalizedmigrationavoidingthetrapversion2peerreview1approved3approvedwithreservations1notapproved AT hannedumurlaanila instrumentalizedmigrationavoidingthetrapversion2peerreview1approved3approvedwithreservations1notapproved AT annabelmiller instrumentalizedmigrationavoidingthetrapversion2peerreview1approved3approvedwithreservations1notapproved AT josipmandic instrumentalizedmigrationavoidingthetrapversion2peerreview1approved3approvedwithreservations1notapproved AT gordanakrap instrumentalizedmigrationavoidingthetrapversion2peerreview1approved3approvedwithreservations1notapproved AT maximelebrun instrumentalizedmigrationavoidingthetrapversion2peerreview1approved3approvedwithreservations1notapproved AT sophiebujold instrumentalizedmigrationavoidingthetrapversion2peerreview1approved3approvedwithreservations1notapproved AT tanjaellingsen instrumentalizedmigrationavoidingthetrapversion2peerreview1approved3approvedwithreservations1notapproved |