Migration, Security and Populism: An Assessment Within the Framework of Securitization Approach

Abstract

Migration, a phenomenon as old as human history, maintains its importance in the 21st century and has particularly increased as a result of wars and economic crises. Until the late 20th century, with the rise of liberal values, migration was considered a positive phenomenon within the framework of economic benefits such as cheap labor. However, with the increase in irregular migration movements, the security-oriented policies of nation-states have radically changed the perspective on migration. This transformation gained a theoretical basis through the Copenhagen School's securitization approach. This approach expanded the concept of security beyond military threats, enabling social and economic issues such as migration to be addressed through the security discourse. This perspective reveals that migration is not only a socioeconomic phenomenon but also a process transformed into a "threat" through the discourse of political actors. Populist leaders have often positioned migrants in exclusionary terms, drawing on the sharp opposition between "the people" and "the other," redefining the issue of migration in terms of threats to national sovereignty and identity. Within this framework, migration has increasingly become a securitized issue, while the rise of populism during periods of crisis has further deepened this process. This study examines the phenomenon of migration and the securitization approach within a theoretical framework, using conceptual analysis to examine the ways in which populist discourse securitizes migration and immigrant issues. The study aims to analyze the increasingly politicized phenomenon of migration and to discuss, within a holistic framework, the negative impacts of populist discourse, combined with securitization strategies, human rights, and social cohesion.

Keywords

• Populism
• Securitization
• Copenhagen School
• Migration
• Crisis Discourse

Göç, Güvenlik ve Popülizm: Güvenlikleştirme Yaklaşımı Çerçevesinde Bir Değerlendirme

Abstract

İnsanlık tarihi kadar eski bir olgu olan göç, 21. yüzyılda da önemini korumakta ve özellikle savaşlar ile ekonomik krizler sonucu artış göstermektedir. 20. yüzyılın sonlarına kadar liberal değerlerin yükselişiyle birlikte göç, ucuz iş gücü gibi ekonomik faydalar çerçevesinde olumlu bir olgu olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Ancak düzensiz göç hareketlerinin artmasıyla birlikte ulus-devletlerin güvenlik öncelikli politikaları göç olgusuna bakışı köklü biçimde değiştirmiştir. Bu dönüşüm, Kopenhag Okulu’nun güvenlikleştirme yaklaşımıyla teorik bir temel kazanmıştır. Söz konusu yaklaşım, güvenlik kavramını askeri tehditlerin ötesine taşıyarak göç gibi toplumsal ve ekonomik konuların da güvenlik söylemiyle ele alınmasını sağlamıştır. Bu perspektif, göçün yalnızca bir sosyoekonomik olgu değil, aynı zamanda siyasi aktörlerin söylemleri aracılığıyla “tehdit” hâline getirilen bir süreç olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Popülist liderler, “halk” ile “öteki” arasındaki keskin karşıtlık üzerinden göçmenleri çoğu zaman dışlayıcı bir dil ile konumlandırmış; göç meselesini ulusal egemenlik ve kimlik tehditleri bağlamında yeniden tanımlamıştır. Bu çerçevede, göç giderek güvenlikleştirilen bir meseleye dönüşürken, kriz dönemlerinde popülizmin yükselişi bu süreci daha da derinleştirmiştir. Bu çalışma, göç olgusunu ve güvenlikleştirme yaklaşımını kuramsal bir çerçevede ele alarak, kavramsal analiz yöntemiyle popülist söylemin göç ve göçmen konusunu hangi biçimlerde güvenlikleştirdiğini incelemektedir. Çalışmanın amacı, günümüzde giderek siyasallaşan göç olgusunu analiz etmek ve popülist söylemin güvenlikleştirme stratejileriyle birleşerek, insan hakları ve toplumsal bütünlük üzerinde yarattığı olumsuz etkilerini tartışmaktır.

Keywords

• Popülizm
• Güvenlikleştirme
• Kopenhag Okulu
• Göç
• Kriz Söylemi

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