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Rhodes College

Publication Date

Spring 2025

Program Name

Spain: Social Movements, Democracy, and Cultural Identity

Abstract

This research examines the human rights consequences of recent shifts in the European Union and Spain’s immigration policies, which increasingly prioritize deterrence, externalization, and securitization over the protection of migrants’ rights. These policies, often framed as measures to combat irregular migration, have included the outsourcing of border control to third countries, such as Libya and Morocco, as well as the criminalization of humanitarian organizations engaged in search and rescue operations. By outsourcing border control to third countries, these policies exacerbate misinformation and anti-immigration sentiment while pushing asylum seekers into perilous transit routes fraught with abuse. Such strategies push migrants into perilous, often irregular transit routes, where they face heightened risks of violence, exploitation, and human rights abuses. Drawing from a comprehensive literature review, expert interviews, and peer-reviewed sources, this study critically analyzes the structural violence and criminology embedded in these policies as well as the continuation of these policies in the upcoming EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. This research also discussed the use of development aid for border control and the creation of ‘shadow borders’ that extend European enforcement far beyond its physical boundaries. It also highlights the role of civil society organizations as whistleblowers, challenging dominant narratives that dehumanize migrants from the Global South and exposing the stark dissonance between the Union’s professed humanitarian values and its increasingly restrictive border practices. The findings underscore the urgent need to reevaluate EU migration policies, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing human rights, addressing root causes of displacement, and fostering more equitable global partnerships.

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

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