SECURITIZATION OF MIGRATION IN EUROPE AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DETERRENCE POLICIES AT NATIONAL LEVEL. THE CASE OF GREECE AND THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY: VASILIKA MOON

Migration phenomenon has been increasingly securitized at the EU level since the early 2000s, following the establishment of the Schengen borderless internal area and the consequent increased concern regarding the management of external borders. When the concept of securitization of migration is expressed, reference is made to the dualism of the term: the linguistic conception on one hand -through the spread use of security discourses aimed at emphasizing the “enemy” rhetoric- and the empirical conception on the other -through the implementation of practices aimed at the rejection, the marginalization and the containment of migrants-. During the years, the security approach has been implemented through national-level policies and practices of Member States as part of a growing cooperation in migration policy and border control. In this context the case of Greece and its model management of immigration policy, marked by a strong migration-security nexus, is of particular interest. In response to the rise of migrants and asylum seekers attempting to enter the country's external borders, the Greek government not only pursued a logic of deterrence and prevention regarding the admission but also produced containment and disparity in terms of access to services by introducing securitizing policies. In this context the role of civil society has proven to be essential in terms of provision of services, often substituting to the State. However, if on one hand the solidarity practices pursued by civil society actors were perceived as fundamental, on the other hand, their increasing presence in the migration sector led to a negative perception of these organizations, being often hindered and criminalised for their interventions. As stated by the United Nations special rapporteur on HRD herself, human rights defenders in Greece -particularly those working on migration-operate in an environment of pervasive fear and insecurity. The hostile environment surrounding civil society organizations negatively impacts migrants' lives and their access to essential services and assistance, worsening inevitably their conditions. Despite the suffocating atmosphere, lots of civil society organizations, such as Vasilika Moon Onlus, continue to work in Greece, recognizing the urgency and the importance of their intervention in a securitized country, through carrying out every day several activities aimed at supporting migrants with all the means at their disposal