| dc.description.abstract | The increase of migration into the European Union, which peaked during the 2015
humanitarian crisis of refugees, has raised concerns about security within nationalist political
discourse across the EU. European right-wing populist discourse revolves around a perceived
threat to national and European culture and identity, pushing adamantly for restrictions in
migration policy, and black-marking asylum seekers as hostile actors. One of the minorities
affected by the increased complexity of asylum are LGBTI migrants, whose sole chance at
being granted asylum status consists of a credibility assessment of their testimony. Indeed,
political discourse on migration now dominates debates and media coverage throughout the 28
member states, polarising the public opinion on a threat to European values and identity, and
reiterating the need for increased border control and stricter migration management.
This paper suggests that this prioritization of home security has manifested itself
profusely in European migration policy, hindering asylum-seeking. Through a critical discourse
analysis, this thesis sets out to assess how migration is securitized in the political discourse on
immigration in the EU, and how LGBTI applications are assessed in EU asylum law. Applying
securitization and queer migration theory, this thesis explores the relationship between LGBTI
rights, migration and security, presenting the incongruencies between pro-LGBTI rights stances
and migration restrictive policies by European actors. The findings advanced in this thesis
conclude that the EU is currently struggling to reconcile principles and security, to balance its
founding values regarding plurality and human rights, all the while managing migration and
border control. | sv |
