(De)Constructing ‘Crisis’ at the Borders of Europe: Border Control, Maritime Rescue and the Production of Humanitarian Space in the Mediterranean Sea

In recent years, the Mediterranean Sea has become a visible site of exclusion characterized by the graphic imagery of boats filled with migrants en route to the European Union (EU). Often marked with tragedy and loss of life, these narratives are routinely accompanied by vivid depictions of rescues at sea being conducted by Frontex, the EU border agency, and increasingly, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Engaging with the humanitarian framing of sea rescue, I unpack how this process of rescue can be understood to perform and enact state borders. I suggest the sea is represented by both state and non-state actors as an idealized, supposedly apolitical humanitarian space defined by the acuteness of saving lives in situations of grievous distress, blurring the politics and violence of borders. Examining the invocation and operation of humanitarianism in response to irregular migrant journeys in the Mediterranean is crucial for understanding the trends and patterns in state and non-state responses to migrant mobility, the fragmented nature of their journeys, and global bordering processes. Exploring the complex interactions of bordering and humanitarianism through the intersections of governmentality and securitization of migration control provides a nuanced understanding of borders as sites of struggle, resistance and agency.

Faculty Supervisor:

Peter Nyers

Student:

Partner:

University of Warwick

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

McMaster University

Program: