A Discursive Re-Conceptualization of Migration in the Midst of the Covid19 Crisis. A European Human and Humane Approach or Business as Usual?

This paper illustrates the discursive re-construction of migration provided by the European Commission in 2020, in the midst of the Covid19 pandemic. Using qualitative discourse analysis, it begins with a contribution to the conceptualization of human security. Next, it explains the methods used to select relevant discourses, to develop an original dataset and to interpret the Commission’s claims. Finally, it demonstrates that the European Commission is fostering a change in the European migration frame. The central argument is that the European Commission’s programmatic discourse is not just a coordinative discourse among policy actors, it rather aims to shape the preferences of EU policy makers zooming on strategic ideas and principles enshrined in the treaties such as solidarity. The conclusion suggests that that the ‘Covid19 crisis’ can represent a window of opportunity for the European Union to embark on a new migration governance framed within humane sentiments.