Browsing by Author "Buzyte, Kristina"

Belarus migration instrumentalisation attempt created unprecedented crisis at the Easters European borders. With increasing numbers of migrants at the borders, Lithuania found itself facing a possibility of larger scale conflict. Measures have been implemented to stop migrants at the border and prevent new migration route to Europe from forming. Theoretically, the thesis places itself between the fields of migration and international relations. We look into the theory of securitization and investigate the aspects upon which migration is perceived as an issue of security and how it can be framed as one by the governing bodies. On the other hand, we try to understand the elements that enable migration instrumentalisation. To use migration as a tool, host country is needs to be susceptible to such attempts either from societal perspective, such as assigned ethical expectations or through its international obligations. This thesis implements Robert M. Entman’s definition of framing into analysis on how the common frames of migration securitization have been used in Lithuanian political debates during the migration instrumentalisation attempt. A total of 5 frames have been drawn from theory and their presence in the discussions have been identified. These frames have been used to portray the migration as a threat to security to legitimize the implementation of securitizing measures. The analysis supports the existing approach that migration framing is dependent on geographical factors. Being the country to experience first-hand migration influx, Lithuania frames migration as a threat and issue to the border security. Parliamentary discussion framed increase of immigration firstly as an instrument used by Belarus to destabilize situation in Lithuania as well as Europe.