The Evolution of the Internal-External Nexus in EU Migration Policy: A Relational Analysis of the Role of the EEAS

The interconnectedness between the internal and external dimensions of the EU migration policy has been evident since the abolishment of the EU internal borders. This interlinkage was established to achieve the overarching goal of creating an internal area of "Freedom, Security, and Justice". However, the discourse on the internal-external nexus within the EU institutions evolved gradually over time. This study explores how the European External Action Service (EEAS) played a crucial role in shaping the narrative on the internal-external nexus in EU migration policymaking. Employing discursive network analysis (DNA), we examine how the post-Lisbon institutional framework provided a platform for discursively integrating migration into foreign policy strategies and viceversa, intertwining foreign policy concerns with "internal" migration policies. By adopting a relational approach embedded in DNA, we move beyond a mere focus on intra-institutional procedures established after Lisbon. Instead, we capture the alliances and conflicts that emerge through language and communication and the power dynamics within the discursive network created by the EEAS and the High Representative. Our analysis argues that these discursive alliances were instrumental in shaping the narrative on the internal-external dimensions of migration policy. Subsequently, these narratives were reshaped by "post-Lisbon" practices, facilitating the connection of migration-relevant policies across different institutions. Conceptually, our analysis also sheds light on the relational component of the extensively debated "externalisation practice". Moreover, it helps to provide further insight into how the external dimension has arguably become the most dynamic strand of EU migration policy-making.