The securitisation of migration: Contradictory speeches and practices on migration management in Brazil

Abstract

This master thesis investigates the securitisation of migration, taking as a case study the context of Brazil. Whilst criticisms of EU asylum and migration policy have consistently demonstrated the negative impact on the protection of these group's human rights, Brazil is often praised as a good model of migration and asylum management. Aiming at contributing to the literature on securitisation, this study proposes to explore both the concepts developed by the Copenhagen School and the revised version of the securitisation theory proposed by the Paris School. Hence, it seeks to analyse the relation between speeches and routine practices. The case study presented will provide perspectives on the narratives constructed by political actors and the instruments mobilized by security experts in their handling of the migration issue. Covering the period from 2000 to 2020, the rhetorical elements of four governments and their respective representatives will be explored through discourse analysis. In addition to that, an overview of the legal-institutional framework concerning human mobility in Brazil will be provided. The study identified key bureaucratic instruments that are used to deal with the migration issue in an "exceptional" condition. By contrasting these two perspectives, rhetoric and...