Securitization of Migration

The international movement of people is provoking worldwide anxiety and apprehension. Nation-states around the globe, especially Western ones, are cracking down on migration for security reasons. International migration has become a key security issue and is perceived, by some, as an existential security threat.The Securitization of Migration is about the movement of people and the system of order underpinning the movement. In undertaking a comparative study of Canada and France, the study analyzes the process of securitizing migration. It explores the process of discursively and institutionally integrating international migration into security frameworks that emphasize policing and defence. Drawing upon social theory, migration studies, and Securitization Theory, Philippe Bourbeau seeks to understand the concepts of power underlying security frameworks and how these affect the treatment of migrants and immigrants. This book is one of the first to systematically and comparatively examine the role of political agents, media agents, and contextual factors in the process of securitizing migration.The book will be of interest to students and scholars concerned with comparative and theoretical approaches to security and migration studies.

‘Clear, accessible, analytically sharp, and very informative, this book on the securitization’ of migration in France and Canada stands out in a genre that does not usually show these qualities.’ - Christian Joppke, Professor of Political Science, The American University of Paris‘An insightful and challenging study that expands the horizons of securitization theory and makes an important contribution toward understanding the international politics of migration. This is a book that addresses important questions, and that will interest anyone concerned with the politics of security today.’ - Michael C. Williams, Professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa‘This insightful study adds empirical richness and comparative breadth linking Europe with North America to provide a pathbreaking analysis of the securitisation of migration in France and Canada.’ - Andrew Geddes, Professor and Chair, University of Sheffield‘While states have been securitizing migration for quite some time now, international relations theorists are still catching up. Using a range of methodologies, Bourbeau's insightful comparative study of France and Canada carefully traces the process through which migration has been securitized since the end of the cold war. The Securitization of Migration is a timely and valuable contribution to the broader literature on migration and international relations.’ - Peter Andreas, Professor of Political Science and International Studies, Brown University

Philippe Bourbeau is a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for International Policy Studies at the University of Ottawa, Canada.