Research Colloquium | Ruth Ferrero-Turrión (Madrid) | Approaching Southeastern Europe from Brussels: Migration policies as security and stability instruments for the EU

The Research Colloquium is organised by Graduate School for East and Southeast European Studies in Regensburg in cooperation with the ScienceCampus.

Abstract:

European migration policies have primarily focused on two main issues: control and security. As early as 2003, with the adoption of the Solana Strategy, migration was introduced onto the EU's political agenda as a security concern. In the years that followed, a comprehensive system of securitization and externalization of migration policies was established. The recent Pact on Migration and Asylumis the latest in a series of political documents aimed at the same goal: controlling migration flows.

Southeastern Europe is no exception to this trend. While Croatia and Slovenia are already EU members, the countries of the Western Balkans are candidates for EU membership. This candidate status is a significant factor in their relationship with the EU, as migration has become a key issue in negotiations. In many cases, the handling of migration is seen as a trade-off to receive EU funding, while at the same time, it has become a reason for these countries' exclusion from the EU enlargement process.

Bio:

Ruth Ferrero-Turrión is a Professor of Political Science and European Studies at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and an Associate Researcher at the Complutense Institute for International Studies (ICEI-UCM). She specializes in migration, European Union policies, and Balkan studies, directing related programmes at UCM. She has held research fellowships at institutions like Columbia University and the London School of Economics and has served as a political advisor for the Spanish Government. Prof. Ferrero-Turrión is also a consultant for international organizations and a regular contributor to media outlets such as El Periódico and Esglobal.