The Neoliberal Paradigm In EU’s Migration Policies: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

This article explores how European Union migration policies have been fundamentally shaped by neoliberal ideologies prioritizing market efficiency, labor commodification, and privatized border control. Through a critical analysis of key policy instruments, including the Schengen Agreement, Dublin Regulation, Maastricht and Lisbon Treaties, and the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, it examines how neoliberal logics have transformed the EU’s approach to human mobility. The paper highlights a central paradox: while promoting the free movement of labor within the EU, external borders have been increasingly securitized, and access for third-country nationals has been restricted. Schengen’s semi-permeable design has fostered a Fortress Europe mentality, while the Dublin Regulation redistributes responsibility in ways that burden peripheral states. The Maastricht and Lisbon Treaties institutionalized centralized governance, embedding market-driven principles in migration policy. These shifts reinforce inequalities, undermine migrant rights, and create asymmetrical burdens among member states. Ultimately, the article argues for a reimagining of EU migration governance, one that prioritizes human rights, equitable responsibility-sharing, and non-commodified forms of mobility.

Keywords

• Neoliberalism
• EU migration policy
• human mobility
• securitization
• labor commodification

AVRUPA BİRLİĞI GÖÇ POLİTİKALARINDA NEOLİBERAL PARADİGMA: ELEŞTİREL BİR ANALİZ

Öz

Bu makale, Avrupa Birliği göç politikalarının piyasa verimliliği, emeğin metalaştırılması ve sınır güvenliğinin özelleştirilmesi gibi neoliberal ilkeler doğrultusunda şekillendiğini savunmaktadır. Schengen Anlaşması, Dublin Düzenlemesi, Maastricht ve Lizbon Antlaşmaları ile Yeni Göç ve Sığınma Paktı gibi düzenlemeler üzerinden yapılan analiz, insan hareketliliğine yönelik AB yaklaşımının bu ideolojilerle nasıl yeniden biçimlendiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Makale, AB içinde serbest emek dolaşımına olan açıklığın, dış sınırların güvenli hale getirilmesi ve üçüncü ülke vatandaşlarına yönelik kısıtlamalarla çeliştiğini vurgulamaktadır. Schengen sistemi Kale Avrupa anlayışını pekiştirirken, Dublin Düzenlemesi sorumluluğu çevre ülkelere kaydırmakta, Maastricht ve Lizbon Antlaşmaları ise göç yönetimini merkezileştirmektedir. Bu politikalar, ekonomik entegrasyonu kolaylaştırsa da göçmen haklarını zayıflatmakta, eşitsizlikleri artırmakta ve yük paylaşımında adaletsizlik yaratmaktadır. Makale, AB göç yönetiminin insan haklarına dayalı, yükün adil paylaşımını esas alan ve hareketliliği metalaştırmayan yeni bir anlayışla yeniden yapılandırılması gerektiğini ileri sürmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Neoliberalizm
• AB göç politikası
• insan hareketliliği
• güvenlikleştirme
• emeğin metalaştırılması

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