Assessment of the European Union's normative power within the context of its migration policy

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi, Uluslararası İlişkiler Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2017

Öğrenci: CEREN ZENGİN

Danışman: ZERRİN TORUN

Özet:

This thesis tries to assess the normative power of the European Union within the context of its migration policy. In line with this objective, the thesis first examines the concept of normative power Europe, the possible criteria to assess the credibility of the normative power Europe claim and the major criticisms raised against the concept. Then, the thesis continues with the discussions on the motivations of the EU member states in developing common migration policy at the EU level, the securitization of migration in the EU, and the externalization of the EU’s migration policies. The major concern of this thesis is to examine whether the EU can be regarded as a normative power or not given its security-oriented external migration policy. By examining readmission and border management policies of the EU, the thesis tries to analyse the motivations, instruments and the impact of the EU’s external migration policy. The analysis shows that securitization and the externalization strategy of the EU stand in stark contrast to normative power Europe claim in several respects. Control-oriented and restrictive migration policies and the way the EU externalizes its migration policies undermine the founding norms and principles of the EU. The thesis arrives at the conclusion that the EU, with its current immigration and asylum policies, is not a normative power, but a realpolitik or status quo power at best.