Introducing the EC Hotspot Approach: A Framing Analysis of EU’s Most Authoritative Crisis Policy Response
| Published date | 01 December 2020 |
| Author | Alexandra Bousiou,Evie Papada |
| Date | 01 December 2020 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12689 |
Introducing the EC Hotspot Approach: A
Framing Analysis of EU’s Most Authoritative
Crisis Policy Response
Alexandra Bousiou* and Evie Papada**
ABSTRACT
Out of the policy initiatives that emerged in the aftermath of the “Refugee Crisis”, none is
more elusive that the hotspot approach. Our aim in this article is to shed light upon what kind
of policy output the hotspot approach entails, by conducting a framing analysis of key Euro-
pean Commission (EC) documents. We draw on discursive institutionalist approaches which
focus on the policy process. Within the policy process, we focus particularly on identifying
policy frames as organizing principles and key ideas, in order to trace the representation of the
problem and solutions to it. Our findings show how the hotspot approach, in incarnating both
the problem and the solution to migration as primarily a concern for management, represents
another string in the long-standing tensions of the harmonisation of the EU asylum and migra-
tion policies.
INTRODUCTION
The hotspot approach is the most authoritative crisis policy response which emerged after the arri-
val of 800,000 migrants over a period of a year through the Eastern Aegean Greek islands
(UNHCR, 2015). As is clearly stated in the Agenda of Migration (European Commission, 2015b),
hotspots are the cornerstone of the European Union (EU) support to member states. According to
the Agenda, “member-states under particular pressure will benefit from the Hotspot system for pro-
viding operational support on the ground”. Notwithstanding the emphasis on its importance, the
recently introduced policy remains equivocal, with relevant information scattered in multiple EC
communication documents. In response to this ambiguity, we assemble the key ideas, to trace the
representation of the problem and solutions to it.
Hotspots also imply physical institutional arrangements. The first hotspots were inaugurated in
October 2015 in Greece at the island of Lesvos and in Italy at the island of Lampedusa. In the
words of the European Commission (EC), “[hotspots] are first reception facilities which aim to bet-
ter coordinate EU agencies’and national authorities’efforts at the external borders of the EU, on
initial reception, identification, registration and fingerprinting of asylum-seekers and migrants”
(European Commission, 2015b).Hotspots have come under fire in human rights organizations
reports and in academic research (AIDA, 2017; Amnesty International, 2017). In particular,
*University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg
** University of Loughborough, Loughborough
The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1111/imig.12689
doi: 10.1111/imig.12689
©2020 The Authors
International Migration ©2020 IOM
International Migration Vol. 58 (6) 2020
ISSN 0020-7985Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI
Get Started for FreeUnlock full access with a free 7-day trial
Transform your legal research with vLex
-
Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform
-
Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues
-
Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options
-
Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions
-
Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms
-
Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations
Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial
Transform your legal research with vLex
-
Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform
-
Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues
-
Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options
-
Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions
-
Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms
-
Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations
Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial
Transform your legal research with vLex
-
Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform
-
Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues
-
Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options
-
Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions
-
Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms
-
Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations
Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial
Transform your legal research with vLex
-
Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform
-
Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues
-
Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options
-
Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions
-
Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms
-
Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations
Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial
Transform your legal research with vLex
-
Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform
-
Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues
-
Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options
-
Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions
-
Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms
-
Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations