Narratives of securitisation of migration: shifting European discourses in light of the regime change in Syria

• In Event: Global and Transnational Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): 2. Knowledge and Politics I

Abstract

This presentation examines the evolving securitisation of Lebanon and Turkey in European political and policy discourses, from the Syrian “crisis” starting in 2011 to the aftermath of the regime change in Syria in December 2024. It analyses how these two countries have progressively been constructed as strategic buffer zones, sites of containment, and partners in the externalisation of European migration and security governance.
The paper explores the multilayered dynamics through which Lebanon and Turkey have come to be framed as humanitarian spaces requiring support, as security frontiers protecting Europe from perceived instability, and as political actors whose cooperation is instrumentalised through diplomacy and conditional partnerships.
Beyond policy developments, the presentation focuses on the narratives that have accompanied and legitimised these shifts. It traces how European institutions, policymakers, and public discourse have articulated changing representations of risk, responsibility, and regional stability—from the framing of Syrian displacement as a “crisis” threatening European borders to more recent discourses shaped by renewed regional violence and the 2024 Israeli attacks.
By comparing Lebanon and Turkey, the paper highlights both convergences and divergences in their positioning within European external governance: while Turkey has often been framed as a strong state, a strategic security partner, and a gatekeeper, Lebanon has been portrayed as a fragile humanitarian frontline. Together, these cases shed light on how securitisation operates not only through policies but also through language, narratives, and knowledge production.

Author

• Clothilde Salelles, University of Antwerp