The dark side of European immigration policy
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/13685201111127803 |
| Pages | 158-169 |
| Published date | 10 May 2011 |
| Date | 10 May 2011 |
| Author | Rita Duca |
| Subject Matter | Accounting & finance |
The dark side of European
immigration policy
Rita Duca
Faculty of Political Science, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Abstract
Purpose – This article aims to highlight the dark side of the restrictive immigration policies,
undertaken both at European and national level, paying special attention to the negative effects that
these policies can cause.
Design/methodology/approach – In particular, the article focuses on two of the main aims stated
by these migration policies: the organization of legal immigration and the control of the illegal
immigration.
Findings – The paper demonstrates how the repressive instruments, today put into practice, not only
have not been a solution, but they have produced destructive effects, such as: the increasing of illegal
immigration and the consequential increasing of the exploitation of immigrants – making the borders
between smuggling and trafficking more and more transitory – the strengthening of the more and
more professionalized criminal organization and finally the enlargement of the black market’s borders,
of which the European single market feeds itself.
Originality/value – The paper offers insights into the dark side of European immigration policy.
Keywords Immigration,Europe
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The complex process of harmonization (Givens and Luedtke, 2004) of European
immigration policy started more than ten years ago, on May 1, 1999 when the Treaty of
Amsterdam came into force. On this date, the Member States conferred to the European
Union part of their competence to adopt acts as concern visa, immigration and asylum
aimed to the organization of the more and more increasing of the migratory phenomenon
in Europe[1].
A kind of policy conceived as a fundamental aspect to the area of justice, freedom
and security[2] of which the EU is founded, it has been strengthened since the December
1 of 2009, when the Treaty of Lisbon came into force. In these years, Member States,
although aware of the necessity of a common European approach for the organization of
immigration, have limited, in the same time, the delegation of power to EU level in order
to maintain discretion and sovereignty over migration policy. These obstacles
became apparent due to considerable difficulties during the negotiation of the
European immigration laws. However, in spite of these obstacles, several solutions have
been adopted (Favilli, 2009) and studies on the subject have been published by European
institutions.
Although the process of harmonization of European immigration policy is today
in fieri, the acquis of the subject is by now full bodied and well outlined also because the
Member States are aligned, with the respective national legislations, on this common
trend.
Recently, this European trend can be summarized by the Stockholm Programme
adopted by the European Council, after the Tampere and Aia programmes, on December
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
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JMLC
14,2
158
Journal of Money Laundering Control
Vol. 14 No. 2, 2011
pp. 158-169
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1368-5201
DOI 10.1108/13685201111127803
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