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Security, Identity, Polarity: The Contemporary DebatesBook Review

Biljana AlampioskaNovember 2010

Security and Migration in the 21st centuryElspeth Guild

‘Population movement or the phenomenon of migration is as old as humanity itself, and has

played a crucial role in shaping the world as we know it’.1 The changes in the economic, social

and political structures after the Cold War are all related to the new forms of international

migration and the increasing ethnic diversity.2

Elspeth Guild in her book Security and Migration in the 21st Century asks two questions:

What is security and what is migration? She builds up her answers on the theory of critical

security studies3, introducing a new approach that she names critical migration studies. She

shows the relationship between the individuals and the states from a different perspective putting

the main focus not on the state or the flow of people, but on the individual. She wants to

illustrate the consequences of the movement of the individual on security affairs. Using her

research on citizenship and the European Union, she gives vivid examples on the developments

in EU concerning citizenship and immigrants. Guild’s approach is very intriguing and helpful in

understanding the issue from a new point of view.

1 Paul D. Williams, Security Studies: An introduction (London: Routledge, 2008), p.468.

2 Stephen Castles and Mark J. Miller, The Age of Migration (London: Macmillan Press, 1993), p. 3.

3 See Keith Krause and Michael C. Williams, Critical security studies : concepts and cases (London: Routledge, 1997)

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In the mainstream migration studies the individual is invisible. All is directed towards the

state and the migration flows.4 Guild through a systematic presentation of the intersection

between security and migration puts the focus on the individual. The individual is the subject of

inquiry.

In order to define the foreigner, Guild first defines the citizen and citizenship. The she

moves to defining the foreigner. She closely looks at the EU citizenship and calls the EU:

‘security project of all sorts,’ but also doesn’t fail to mention the desecuritization of the freedom

of movement within the EU. Substantial part of the book is dedicated to armed conflict, torture

and migration. Guild examines ‘the role of the individual as an actor who is searching for

protection within the international community.’5 Her argument is that the obligation the state has

to protect the individual from torture is always more important than the national security.6 Guild

looks at the state as a source of security and insecurity at the same time. Her central argument

portrays the individual as a citizen of one country and foreigner of another. Guild points out that

analysis of data can provide answers to some of the questions regarding immigrants and security.

She looks at the extensive data that western liberal countries (namely EU) gather in order to

document all the foreigners that are planning to enter the Union. Her goal is to show that the fear

of the foreigner as a threat to security is not always justified, but very often taken for granted.

She particularly stresses out the clash between the right of privacy and the data gathering

regulations.

4 See Stephen Castles and Mark J. Miller, The Age of Migration (London: Macmillan Press, 1993)

5 Elspeth Guild, Security and Migration in the 21st Century (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2009) p.87.

6 ‘Torture and the Complicit State’ in Security and Migration in the 21st Century by Elspeth Guild (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2009) pp.87-107

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By looking at the link between economy and migration she again takes the example of

the EU and shows how the Union has constructed the third country national (EU-non-national) as

a potential risk to economic security. Once more, by focusing on the individual, rather than the

state, Guild points out that by exclusion of the labour migrants from the state benefits, they are

constantly being in a state of insecurity. Towards the end Guild tackles the issues of human

trafficking and human smuggling, and talks about the concept of a person in a position of

vulnerability.

Finally, probably the most interesting part of the book deals with state sovereignty and

border. Talking about white and black visa lists7 and border protection, she explains how the

states of the EU have ‘lost’ their sovereignty. She finally concludes that redefining the borders

also means redefining migration.

By focusing on the individual as a threat, or as a referent to be made safe, Guild is

definitely taking the stance from non-state centred and non-traditional approach of security and

migration. This book is not per se criticizing the state-centred approach of security and

migration studies. It rather offers a new approach that seeks to recognize the individual as an

actor and referent object. The idea of critical migration studies illuminates the link between the

individual and the state in terms of security and migration.

The emphasis of this book is much more focused on forced rather than voluntary

migration, although the section on labour migration involves voluntary migration. Issues on

refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers are much more present in the analysis. Migration on

7 Black and white visa lists determine who is eligible to enter within the borders of the EU. In simple terms they categorize the citizens of the foreign country as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ citizens depending from the relations between the EU and the foreign country. See Elspeth Guild, Security and Migration in the 21st Century (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2009) pp.176-191.

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short term bases, as well as student migration is somewhat left out, but it is definitely something

worth to be looked at. Another point Guild might have analyzed further is the assimilation of the

foreigner in the culture of the host country, where the migrant’s personal and cultural identity is

being threatened.

By offering this new concept Guild opens up an opportunity for further research to be

done. One of the limitations of this book is that it is mainly based on examples within the

framework of EU. Although empirically rich and conceptually developed, one needs to be

careful not to generalize the proposed findings and arguments. It seems like the doors are open

for looking at the migration and security practices and policies in the rest of the world and see

how critical migration studies can be applied there.

By looking the phenomenon of migration through a very contemporary prism, Guild’s

approach is very up-to-date. It gives the reader an opportunity to understand the issues from the

point of view of the 21st century and to think critically about the situation today. The systematic

approach allows for a general preview on the intersection between security and migration.

However for a deeper understanding of specific issues it is inevitable to use more literature.

I recommend this book for those who are interested in the link between security and

migration and in understanding why migration might or might not be threat to security. By

providing a broad overview on the topic, but also specific case studies and examples Guild

makes this book informative and worth reading.

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Bibliography

(i) Elspeth Guild, Security and Migration in the 21st Century (Cambridge: Polity Press,

2009)

(ii) Keith Krause and Michael C. Williams, Critical security studies : concepts and cases

(London: Routledge, 1997)

(iii) Paul D. Williams, Security Studies: An introduction (London: Routledge, 2008)

(iv) Stephen Castles and Mark J. Miller, The Age of Migration (London: Macmillan Press,

1993)