The Securitization of Migration
A Study of Movement and Order
Security and Governance Series

The international movement of people is provoking worldwide anxiety and apprehension. Nation-states around the globe, especially Western ones, are cracking down on migration for security reasons. International migration has become a key security issue and is perceived, by some, as an existential security threat.

The Securitization of Migration is about the movement of people and the system of order underpinning the movement. In undertaking a comparative study of Canada and France, the study analyzes the process of securitizing migration. It explores the process of discursively and institutionally integrating international migration into security frameworks that emphasize policing and defence. Drawing upon social theory, migration studies, and Securitization Theory, Philippe Bourbeau seeks to understand the concepts of power underlying security frameworks and how these affect the treatment of migrants and immigrants. This book is one of the first to systematically and comparatively examine the role of political agents, media agents, and contextual factors in the process of securitizing migration.

The book will be of interest to students and scholars concerned with comparative and theoretical approaches to security and migration studies.

1. Introduction Part 1: Developing an Analytical Framework 2. Securitized Migration 3. Constructivism, Security, and the Movement of People Part 2: The Securitization of Migration in Canada and France 4. Political Agents and their Security Speech Acts 5. Media, Migration, and Security: An obvious Link? 6. The Powers of Contextual Factors 7. Conclusion