From Lesvos to the Canary Islands: The Role of the State and Civil Society in the Securitisation of Migration

Islands by nature of their physical geography, often play a key role in the ‘management’ of migration in the European Union (EU). In such receiving states, the securitisation of migration manifests itself through a myriad of negative impacts and challenges experienced by migrants, asylum-seekers, and host communities alike. Such impacts and challenges, many of which are socio-economic in nature, span issues of integration, employment opportunities, livelihood stability, housing, local reputation, access to rights, and social services, among others. This paper explores the spiraling of different policies, practices, and narratives, which underpin the securitisation of migration, through an in-depth comparative discussion of how this manifests practically at the local level in Lesvos and the Canary Islands. It evaluates the role of state and non-state actors including local authorities, intergovernmental organisations, NGOs, humanitarian solidarity networks and other civil society groups, in reinforcing and resisting such dynamics. It highlights how such actors pose a particular relationship between themselves and migrant populations, wherein they either enable or hinder freedom of movement or opportunities to formalise integration into local communities, which may differ depending on the ‘category’ or type of migrant in question. Combining empirical field research with a critical theoretical perspective building from key works in migration studies, critical border studies, and citizenship studies, this paper concludes that such cases are emblematic of broader trends observed in the changing social and political landscape of Southern Europe and the EU more broadly.