The Securitization of Immigration in Liberal Democracies

• In Event: Between Humanitarian and Security Approaches to Migrants and Minorities

Abstract

The spread of anti-immigrant and anti-refugee rhetoric has gone global – as reflected in the rise of far-right parties, the election of political leaders that seek to limit existing and potential citizens, and the celebration of cultural stereotypes and xenophobia in online spaces in virtually all corners of the world. Particularly troubling is the recent – and rapid – increase in anti-immigrant politics in liberal democracies where immigration had previously not been the source of intense politicization. For example, in Belgium, the far-right Vlaams Belang party has gained momentum – but in Flanders, rather than in Wallonia, where the percentage of immigrants and unemployment are higher. In South Korea, the arrival of about 500 Yemenis in the resort island of Jeju in 2018 led to a short-lived but intense public backlash against the government’s policy of multiculturalism, even though the overall number of refugees remains continuously low. In this paper, I examine this puzzling securitization of immigration politics through a cross-regional comparison of Belgium and South Korea in the 2000s-2010s. I argue that the sudden spike in anti-immigrant responses in both countries were political, rather than cultural or economic, as has been previously emphasized. While cultural difference and bias, in addition to fear of globalization and forced competition over scarce resources, may have amplified public responses, the dominant anti-immigrant voices in both countries invoked concerns of security, reduced state capacity, and threats to democracy. Especially noteworthy is the emerging narrative of democratic citizens demanding responsibility and accountability from their government – one that prioritizes its own citizens over “outsiders.”

Author

• Seo-Hyun Park, Lafayette College