The external dimension of European Union immigration and asylum policies - redefining security in the European region
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EU immigration policy, asylum policies, external relations, third countries, outsourcing, security orientated policy, EU Commission, European Council, migration flow, border control
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Abstract
In February 2003, Tony Blair proposed at the Thessaloniki Summit to create 'transit processing centres' outside the European Union (EU) frontiers in which asylum seekers would be withheld during the time their procedure was completed. Though the proposition wasn't well received at first by the other Heads of States, it was echoed a year later by the German Minister of Interior Otto Schily to create such centres in North Africa, and later by his Italian colleague Giuseppe Pisanu who indicated his wish to build such an infrastructure on Libya's territory. To understand this proposal, one must go back to the funding of the external dimension of the EU immigration and asylum policies. As the EU progressed towards the removal of internal frontiers, as symbolized by the Schengen initiative in 1985, this made it necessary to further control over the external frontiers of the EU, and to secure the territory against illegal immigration, crime, terrorism, etc. The Amsterdam Treaty of 1997 expressed the will to establish a common area of liberty, security and justice in Europe. One of the main pillars at the core of this project was immigration and asylum policies. Thus, Europeanization of immigration and asylum policies became an important aspect of recent European integration. Until the Amsterdam Treaty, it consisted of an interstate cooperation and an intergovernmental policy.
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[...] Of course, the 9/11 events also strengthened the need to implement the EU's security agenda. As we've seen, the external dimension of immigration and asylum policies can be chiefly defined as the cooperation of the EU and third countries, the first offering financial aid and cooperation in security fields, the latter providing more secure security policies in exchange on its territory (through legal action, through a higher police budgets, etc). The goal behind this strategy is to ensure regional stability in the EU. [...]
[...] First was the exportation of classical migration control instruments to sending or transit countries outside the EU. The main instruments here were border control, measures to combat illegal migration, smuggling and trafficking, and capacity-building of asylum systems and migration management in transit countries (BOSWELL, 2003). For example, in 2005, Ukraine was made chief director of a EU project called "program of regional protection" whose objective as exposed by the Commission was to explore all parameters in order to ensure more orderly and managed entry in the EU of persons in need of international protection and to examine ways and means to enhance the protection capacity of regions of origin" (http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/asylum/external/fsj_asylum_external_en.htm).This program brought technical and financial help to partner countries in implementing necessary measures. [...]
[...] Another vivid example of this policy is the creation in 2004 by the European Council of the Frontex Agency whose mission is to "coordinate the operational cooperation between Member States in the field of border security" and whose budget amounts to 37 million Euros per year. More largely, decisions to develop the external dimension of immigration and asylum policies have created an agenda which was implemented in several steps. Therefore, "outsourcing" has enabled the EU to develop a close management over migrations and asylum requests. If the concept of "European fortress" remains debatable, we can draw a parallel with the concept of "chosen immigration policy", as introduced by President Sarkozy during the presidential campaign of 2007. [...]
[...] The external dimension of European Union immigration and asylum policies- redefining security in the European region Introduction "The map isn't the territory" (BORGES). In February 2003, Tony Blair proposed at the Thessaloniki Summit to create "transit processing centres" outside of the European Union frontiers in which asylum seekers would be withheld during the time their procedure was completed. Though the proposition wasn't well received at first by the other Heads of States, it was echoed a year later by the German Minister of Interior Otto Schily to create such centres in North Africa, and later by his Italian colleague Giuseppe Pisanu who indicated his wish to build such infrastructure on Libya's territory (SAINT-SAENS, 2004). [...]
[...] However, though immigration and asylum policies have reinforced the EU's borders, these policies also allow EU institutions to develop a more concerned approach over the causes and consequences of migration flow. As BOSWELL states, "The Commission also suggested a more ethical argument in favor of the EU acknowledging the concerns of sending countries, insisting that the EU 'face up to our collective responsibilities and meet our shared interests with third countries" (BOSWELL, 2003). "Outsourcing" the EU's immigration and asylum policies has led to some material and strategic developments in third countries, but has also had an impact on the vision that is carried by the EU institutions on the matter of immigration and asylum policies. [...]
