Content
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………….….….. 3
1. The huge wave of immigration into Europe ………………………………………....… 4
2. 1 The Euro- Mediterranean region: an area of conflict …………………………..... 6
2. Fortress Europe - A “Fortress of minds”? ………………………………………….…. 9
2.1 The guardians: borders and camps ……………………………………………….10
2.2 Humanitarian arguments ……………………………………................................12
Conclusion: The immigrant "Other” as threat or chance? ………………………..…… 13
Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………..…… 15
Introduction
When we think of the Euro-Mediterranean region, we might imagine places of blithe holidays. However, they are also places of fright, capsized boat people from North Africa, drowning or dying of thirst in rickety and overloaded vessels. In the hope of finding a better future in Europe, they desperately expose their lives to the forces of the sea. Nevertheless, the public sphere is rather casually informed about these tragedies and even tends to apathy and insensitivity due to ostensibly constant and similar reporting about boat tragedies.
Especially in these days of radical changes in the Arabic world including halting establishment of better living conditions and daily cruelties in Syria, many people demand that their outcry for freedom should gain attention in nearby Europe. Acting from necessity, people from North Africa, the Middle East and Asia set off towards Europe in hopes of a better life. Once knocking on Europe's gates at the coast lines of Spain, Italy or Greece, they suddenly have to realize that what they encounter, is in fact not the expected paradise,
Just recently, an Amnesty International Report published in December 2012 strongly condemned the "shameful and terrible" situation of refugees in Greece. It marks yet another alert signal to speak about a European humanitarian crisis; not outside the borders, but within. According to the report, refugees in Greece, originating from Africa, Pakistan, Iran or Syria are not even being provided with the minimum standard of protection and security. Against the background of the financial crisis the situation is getting more dramatic in Greece. Racist street violence, fascist resurgence and radical actions by Greek patrol boats in the border river Evros between Turkey and Greece testify human right violations. Such tendencies not count for Greece solely, they are characteristic for European encounters with enormous immigration waves in general. ...
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The huge wave of immigration into Europe
1. 1 The Euro- Mediterranean region: an area of conflict
2. Fortress Europe - A “Fortress of minds”?
2.1 The guardians: borders and camps
2.2 Humanitarian arguments
Conclusion: The immigrant "Other” as threat or chance?
Research Objectives and Key Themes
This essay explores the complex dynamics of the "Fortress Europe" metaphor, examining how European migration policies and public discourse define the immigrant as an "Other" while navigating humanitarian obligations and security pressures in the Mediterranean region.
- Analysis of migration influx patterns and the conflict zones of the Mediterranean.
- Examination of the "Fortress of minds" concept and its impact on European identity construction.
- Evaluation of the practical role of border agencies and detention centers.
- Discussion of the tension between humanitarian human rights commitments and restrictive migration policies.
- Exploration of the economic and demographic necessity of migration vs. political perceptions.
Excerpt from the Book
1. The huge wave of immigration into Europe
"People have been crossing borders, legally or illegally, throughout human history"3, as Scheffer manifests. However, current migration is more than ever characterized by its global scope, its significant dependence and impact on domestic and international politics and its enormous economic and social consequences.4 As Europe has been aiming at a space of free movement ever-since the end of World War II and ultimately with the European Integration including the creation of the Schengen- Area, it has been facing huge waves of immigrants, many of them being ‘undocumented labor migrants’ or refugees from poor countries. In order to cope with illegal immigration and its consequences, the European Union has been conducting an extensive and far-reaching border enforcement program.5
Among eight categories of international immigration, Cohen points out three main groups of migrants: legal labor migrants, illegal or undocumented labor migrants and refugees with confirmed status as such or asylum-seekers yet applying for it.6 In this paper, the focus relies on illegal migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. According to Article 1 of the 1951 Geneva Convention, a refugee is defined as a person,
"who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it."7
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides an overview of the Euro-Mediterranean region as both a holiday destination and a site of human suffering, introducing the concept of a European humanitarian crisis.
1. The huge wave of immigration into Europe: Details the historical and current context of migration into Europe, including definitions of refugees and the political challenges of border enforcement.
1. 1 The Euro- Mediterranean region: an area of conflict: Explores the specific roles of Mediterranean entry points like Spain, Italy, and Greece, and the human cost associated with irregular migration.
2. Fortress Europe - A “Fortress of minds”?: Investigates the metaphorical and psychological dimensions of European exclusion, linking the post-Cold War era to the creation of an "Other" identity.
2.1 The guardians: borders and camps: Examines the mechanisms of mobility control, including surveillance technologies and the evolving nature of detention centers.
2.2 Humanitarian arguments: Critiques the failure of European border policies to uphold human rights commitments and explores the limits of state acceptance regarding immigration.
Conclusion: The immigrant "Other” as threat or chance?: Synthesizes arguments regarding the potential for collective learning, economic contributions, and the necessity of re-evaluating European identity.
Keywords
Fortress Europe, Migration, Refugees, Euro-Mediterranean, Human Rights, Border Policy, Identity, Asylum-seekers, Othering, Humanitarianism, Mobility, Integration, Schengen Area, Xenophobia, Surveillance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines the phenomenon of "Fortress Europe," specifically how European migration policy and rhetoric respond to the influx of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean area.
What are the central thematic fields addressed?
The main themes include border security, human rights, the construction of European identity, the psychological aspect of "othering," and the economic/demographic implications of migration.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze the gap between Europe's humanitarian self-conception and its actual exclusionary border policies, questioning whether the "Other" should be viewed as a threat or a demographic necessity.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The work utilizes a theoretical and cultural discourse analysis, integrating sociological perspectives on identity and migration with legal data from international conventions and reports.
What does the main part of the paper cover?
The main section discusses the "Fortress of minds" concept, the role of border agencies like FRONTEX, the function of detention camps, and the contradiction between humanitarian commitments and practical migration management.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Fortress Europe, migration policy, human rights, Mediterranean conflict zones, and European identity.
How does the author define the "Euro-Mediterranean conflict"?
The author identifies this as a conflict stemming from states being forced into the role of a "migratory buffer zone," leading to humanitarian crises and a reliance on irregular, dangerous migration routes.
What is meant by the "European Mexico-syndrome"?
It refers to the creation of a "border-zone between worlds," characterizing the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla as external police outposts controlling the movement of people from the Global South.
Why are humanitarian arguments often "contradicted in practice"?
The author argues that while EU members sign international agreements like the 1951 Geneva Convention, they maintain bureaucratic hurdles and detention systems that essentially allow them to avoid their protection obligations.
What is the author's final conclusion regarding the immigrant "Other"?
The author concludes that Europe should shift its perspective to view immigrants as a source of "enriching transformation" and a solution to demographic decline, rather than an existential threat.
- Citation du texte
- B.A. European Studies Franziska Caesar (Auteur), 2013, Fortress Europe - Europe's gates, ditches and guardians in the Mediterranean area , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/212331
