Name
Maria Winstead
Class
INTA 4500
About This Project
Maria Winstead conducted research on the migration-security nexus because she was intrigued by the widening of security studies and the process through which an issue like migration becomes securitized. This led her to investigate the concept of securitized migration related to the European migrant crisis of the 2010s. Maria argues that the Paris School, which identifies border management professionals as the main actors that control security threats to play on the unease of citizens, provides the most comprehensive analysis for the securitization of the European migrant crisis. Her methods include investigating studies of security professionals, specifically Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, and surveillance technologies that connect migration to security. Maria's findings suggest a shift in the role of Frontex over the course of the migrant crisis, for example a greater emphasis on tackling traditional security threats such as terrorism and combatting cross-border crime, as well as greater cooperation with actors that have a heavier security focus. She also found that increased surveillance from new or updated technologies likely contributed to securitizing efforts by further enhancing the idea that migrants need to be watched and controlled. As to the importance, increasing global mobility and the association of migrants with criminality and terrorism has indicated the need for a better understanding of how migration comes to be securitized and the implications of this process.
