Premium
Forced migrations and Externalization of European Union Border Control: Serbia on the Balkan Migration Route
Author(s) -
Bobić Mirjana,
Šantić Danica
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international migration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.681
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1468-2435
pISSN - 0020-7985
DOI - 10.1111/imig.12622
Subject(s) - refugee , externalization , european union , political science , accession , state (computer science) , position (finance) , forced migration , politics , border security , economy , development economics , political economy , international trade , law , sociology , economics , psychology , finance , algorithm , psychoanalysis , computer science
The article argues that the recent “migration crisis” has been constructed as a security threat to the European Union, which conceals both the multiple causes of forced migrations, and the inability of the Union to respond to the massive influx of people in need of protection. Serbia had taken up a “refugee‐friendly” policy, which implied a humanitarian approach. However, due to a change of political discourse in connection with the EU accession, a shift towards the security position occurred. This article sheds light on the actual status of migrants and asylum seekers in Serbia, as well as the state response to the growing challenges in the area of acceptance and protection, following the official closure of the Balkan route. In the conclusion, the authors tentatively plead for return to a balanced humanitarian approach, since there is clear evidence that mixed migration flows will resume in the times to come.