The Redefinition of Borders in the UE:The Migrant Crisis

Ivana Utami Putri, Muhadi Sugiono

2016 | Skripsi | Ilmu Hubungan Internasional

ABSTRACT The integration of Europe under an economic and increasingly political union has changed the way European borders are defined. Through harmonized policies on immigration, the European Union (EU) has „redefined‟ the borders—and consequently the boundaries—of the region and of its member states. The discourse on borders in the EU have therefore transcended from the traditional confines of the national, posing a slight theoretical contradiction in the traditional exercise of national sovereignty. The aim of this thesis is to show the complexity of the conceptualization of the „European‟ border despite harmonized regulations, making use of the case of the mid-2015 migrant crisis in Europe, an issue which touches upon security-related matters and debate-sensitive concepts like identity. In the first three parts, the thesis identifies the harmonized border and asylum policies of the EU; the challenges brought by the „redefinition‟ for the 28 member states to effectively and efficiently respond to the crisis in light of the mass arrival of asylum-seeking migrants; the limitations of the EU‟s harmonized policies, as well as implications towards boundary-making processes. In the fourth part, it further analyzes the responses of member states and of the EU, and the implications for the „redefinition‟. Data for this research were collected from the EU‟s online legal database, journals, selected books on borders and online news articles. In sum, this thesis argues that bordering practices extend beyond the realm of policies and finds that despite supranational, harmonized regulations, states retain a significant amount of power. In the case of the migrant crisis this was manifested through the reintroduction of border control at several member states‟ respective national borders and the deadlock of a joint European solution. This thesis consists of 12,173 words in total. Keywords: Europe, sovereignty, borders, inclusion/exclusion, exterritorialization, CEAS, migration

Kata Kunci : Migrasi