Immigration flows and the manangement of the EU's Southern maritim borders (original) (raw)
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Managing migrations in Europe’s southern border: The cases of Spain, Italy and Portugal
2016
espanolEn el sistema internacional, las migraciones internacionales tienen que ser reguladas y gestionadas por los Estados, con el fin de garantizar el impacto positivo de los migrantes en los paises de acogida y su integracion, asi como asegurar que los migrantes que entran sean tratados con dignidad y vean reconocidos sus derechos. Sin embargo, la experiencia indica que este ideal no siempre se produce y los Estados pueden ver como una amenaza los flujos migratorios, en particular los irregulares. Es en este sentido en el que enfocamos nuestro estudio sobre la gestion de los flujos migratorios en el Mediterraneo, desde la perspectiva de la seguridad internacional. La gestion de las migraciones en el Mediterraneo es uno de los principales retos que la Union Europea (UE) enfrenta en la actualidad. Los intensos flujos migratorios que se han registrado durante el ano 2015 y las tragedias en el mar Mediterraneo han puesto a prueba los mecanismos de las politicas de inmigracion y asilo ...
International Multilingual Journal of Science and Technology (IMJST), 2022
Illegal immigration is a phenomenon that preoccupies European Union (henceforth EU) states and their societies today to a great extent and causes turmoil at an economic, social and political level. The EU has tried to develop policies through the establishment of European organizations such as Europol and Frontex in order to assist the EU Member States (henceforth MS) in the effective management of this phenomenon. As is well known, the greatest pressure in dealing with this phenomenon is faced by the states located in the southern part of Europe, among which Hellas also belongs. The latter is under pressure from migratory flows both through its land borders and from sea borders which are at the same time the sea borders of the EU. The main burden for dealing with these flows has been assumed by the Hellenic Coast Guard (henceforth HCG) with its staff and executives.
2017
Over the last 25 years the southern maritime border of the European Union witnessed the interaction of considerable and increasingly complex irregular migration flows in the Mediterranean with the progressive construction and implementation of restrictive migration control policies by the European Union and its member states at their external borders. The article describes the evolving migration patterns and changes in migration routes both as a stimulus and a consequence of locally stepping up migration control at the emerging hotspots at different parts of the border, creating deviation effects in migration routes with alternative points of entry and higher costs and risks for migrants. Special attention is given to the impact of the 2015 refugee crisis on border management and the new challenges it poses to the asylum system and the protection of fundamental rights.
Illegal Migration into Europe on the Western Mediterranean
BORDER SECURITY IN CONTESTED ENVIRONMENTS, 2024
This chapter first summarizes some definitions such as migration and illegal migration. Next, it will try to provide an actual but general overview on illegal migration across the EU external borders introducing the key developments and the main migration routes to the continent. Next, it will provide information about the different regions of the Mediterranean route including Eastern, central and especially the Western maritime routes. The authors have tried to give a short summary regarding the reasons for illegal migration such as Sub-Saharan migration to the North via Morocco and Algeria. They have brought together some experiences with migration in Spain as an EU member state. Finally, they have made conclusions focusing on possible solutions.
PEACE & SECURITY-PAIX ET SÉCURITÉ INTERNATIONALES (EuroMediterranean Journal of International Law and International Relations), 2019
Following a brief overview of immigration in Spain, the present paper first analyses the main routes of irregular immigration into Spain, giving recent data on the number of arrivals by sea and land to the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and Spanish territories in North Africa. The sea has traditionally been the main route of entry to Spanish territory for immigrants primarily from Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the years 2013 to 2015 proved an exception to this rule, with immigration by land outstripping that by sea due to an increase in the arrival of Syrian immigrants to the cities of Ceuta and above all Melilla. Next, a description is given of the political and operational mechanisms es-tablished by the Spanish authorities to control Spain’s maritime borders, especially in the Canary Islands. Such border control is achieved through unilateral surveillance measures (the Integrated External Surveillance System, Spanish initials: SIVE), bilateral cooperation (inter-state agreements with Morocco and other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa) and regional cooperation within the European Union (EU). This is followed by a discussion of how immigration routes have been affected by increased cooperation between Spain and African States to intercept immigrants in their countries of origin or during transit. There is likewise an analysis of Spain’s use of summary returns or pushbacks following assaults or jumps on the border fences surrounding Ceuta and Melilla and attempts of arrival by swimming in Ceuta or by sea to Spanish islands and islets in North Africa, within the framework of the 1992 Spanish-Mo-roccan agreement on readmission of foreigners who have entered irregularly. Lastly, we argue that the reinforcement of border control alone is insufficient to curb migration flows: to be effective, it must be accompanied by common policies in the European countries of destination and increased investment in the countries of origin to provide their citizens with the opportunity to obtain a higher standard of living and overcome the temptation to emigrate as a first option. LA INMIGRACIÓN EN ESPAÑA: RUTAS MIGRATORIAS, COOPERACIÓN CON TERCEROS PAÍSES Y DERECHOS HUMANOS EN LOS PROCEDIMIENTOS DE DEVOLUCIÓN Tras una breve presentación de la inmigración en España, se analizan las principales vías de entrada a España para la inmigración irregular, con datos recientes del número de llegadas por vía marítima y terrestre al territorio peninsular y balear, al archipiélago canario y a los territo-rios españoles en el norte de África. Las rutas marítimas se consolidan como la tradicional forma de acceso al territorio español para los inmigrantes procedentes, principalmente, del África Subsaha-riana. Una excepción se dio en los años 2013 a 2015, en los que la inmigración por vía terrestre fue superior a la marítima, debido al incremento de la llegada de inmigrantes sirios a las Ciudades de Ceuta y, principalmente, de Melilla. En particular, el análisis se centra en los mecanismos políticos y operativos establecidos por las autoridades españolas para mantener el control de sus fronteras marítimas, especialmente en las Islas Canarias. Estas fronteras marítimas se controlan mediante medidas unilaterales de vigilancia (Sistema Integrado de Vigilancia Exterior –SIVE-), cooperación bilateral (acuerdos interestatales con Marruecos y otros países del África subsahariana) y coopera-ción regional (dentro de la Unión Europea –UE-). Este estudio destaca cómo el aumento de la coo-peración entre España y los Estados africanos en la interceptación de inmigrantes en los países de origen y tránsito ha alterado las rutas migratorias. Igualmente, se analiza la práctica española de las devoluciones en caliente de inmigrantes, tras los asaltos a las vallas fronterizas de Ceuta y Melilla, la llegada a nado a Ceuta o por vía marítima a las Islas y Peñones españoles en el norte de África, en el marco del acuerdo hispano-marroquí de readmisión de extranjeros entrados ilegalmente de 1992. Finalmente, se plantea cómo el refuerzo del control fronterizo es insuficiente para frenar los flujos migratorios, si no se complementa con políticas comunes en los países europeos de destino y con mayores inversiones en los países de origen, que den a sus ciudadanos la oportunidad de tener un nivel de vida más alto y superar la tentación de emigrar, como primera opción. IMMIGRATION EN ESPAGNE: ROUTES MIGRATOIRES, COOPÉRATION AVEC LES PAYS TIERS ET DROITS DE L’HOMME DANS LES PROCÉDURES DE RETOUR Après une brève présentation de l’immigration en Espagne, les principales voies d’en-trée en Espagne pour l’immigration clandestine sont analysées, ainsi que des données récentes sur le nombre d’arrivées par mer et par voie terrestre vers les territoires péninsulaire et baléare, les îles Canaries et les territoires espagnols en Afrique du nord. Les routes maritimes sont consoli-dées en tant que forme traditionnelle d’accès au territoire espagnol pour les immigrants originaires principalement de l’Afrique subsaharienne. Une exception s’est produite entre 2013 et 2015, dans aquelle l’immigration par voie terrestre était supérieure à la mer, en raison de l’augmentation du nombre d’immigrants syriens dans les villes de Ceuta et, principalement, de Melilla. L’analyse porte en particulier sur les mécanismes politiques et opérationnels mis en place par les autorités espagnoles pour maintenir le contrôle de leurs frontières maritimes, notamment aux îles Canaries. Ces frontières maritimes sont contrôlées par des mesures de surveillance unilatérales (Système de surveillance externe intégré –SIVE-), une coopération bilatérale (accords entre États avec le Maroc et d’autres pays d’Afrique subsaharienne) et une coopération régionale (au sein de l’Union européenne –UE-). Cette étude souligne en quoi la coopération accrue entre l’Espagne et les États africains en matière d’interception des immigrants dans les pays d’origine et de transit a modifié les itinéraires de migration. De même, la pratique espagnole des renvois ou refoulements ‘à chaud’ d’immigrants est analysée, après les assauts contre les barrières frontalières de Ceuta et Melilla, les arrivées en nageant à Ceuta ou par voie de mer dans les îles, les îlots et les rochers espagnoles en Afrique du Nord; pratique espagnole qui a comme cadre juridique l’accord de réadmission hispa-no-marocain de 1992 pour les étrangers entrés illégalement. Enfin, le renforcement des contrôles aux frontières est insuffisant pour freiner les flux migratoires, s’il n’est pas complété par des politi-ques communes dans les pays européens de destination et par des investissements plus importants dans les pays d’origine, qui donnent à leurs citoyens la possibilité d’un niveau de vie plus élevé et de vaincre la tentation d’émigrer, comme première option.
The European Union–West African sea border: Anti-immigration strategies and territoriality (2017)
European Urban and Regional Studies, 2017
The fight against unwanted sea migration in Southern Europe has triggered the territorial redefinition of European Union (EU) borders and transformed the relationship between sending and receiving countries in the region. This paper focuses on the strategies that the EU and Spain adopted to seal the maritime border around the Canary Islands between 2005 and 2010. According to the primary and secondary data used here, the closure of the Atlantic route that happened in this period was the result of the combination of defensive and preventative measures along and beyond this section of the EU border. Initiatives aimed at promoting economic development, creating jobs at origin, and temporary migration programs paved the way for cooperation among governments, thus making possible the deployment of military resources along the border, the return/deportation of unwanted EU-bound migrants, and the externalization of migration control responsibilities. Cooperation and the mixture of proactive and reactive initiatives seen in this case study are likely to become the hallmark of a new kind of global anti-immigration border that extends beyond the territory of the state.