The Nexus between EU external migration policies and the democratization of Southern Mediterranean countries: a multi-layered analysis with Morocco as a case study

What is the nexus between EU external migration policies and the democratization of Southern Mediterranean countries (SMCs)? Although being two essential components of EU external action and central elements within Euro-Mediterranean relations, little is known about how these two macro processes of...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Faustini Torres, Luisa
Tipo de recurso: tesis doctoral
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:CBUC, CESCA
Repositorio:TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red
OAI Identifier:oai:www.tdx.cat:10803/672391
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10803/672391
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:European Union
External migration policies
Democratization
Southern Mediterranean countries
Morocco
Qualitative research
Unión Europea
Políticas externas de migración
Países del Sur del mediterráneo
Marruecos
Investigación cualitativa
32
Descripción
Sumario:What is the nexus between EU external migration policies and the democratization of Southern Mediterranean countries (SMCs)? Although being two essential components of EU external action and central elements within Euro-Mediterranean relations, little is known about how these two macro processes of international affairs intertwine. This research thesis aims to start fulfilling this gap through a qualitative multi-layered analysis, taking Morocco as a case-study. This country has a long-standing history of ‘cooperation’ with the EU on migration policies being conceived as a paradigmatic case among SMCs. This study is composed by three articles, each examining one layer of this interface (i.e., policy narratives, policy practices and stakeholders’ perceptions), as well as an introduction and a conclusion. The first article explores EU policy narratives, identifying EU assumptions and expectations about this nexus. The second one analyses EU policy practices through the case study of Morocco, focusing on understanding how the interplay of these policy fields is unfolding on the ground. The third article provides an assessment of Moroccan local stakeholders’ perceptions regarding EU policy implementation and impact on the country. Overall, the three articles draw on different sources of data obtained through desk research (policy documents, reports and academic literature) and fieldwork, which have been thoroughly analysed in the Software Nvivo and combining different qualitative methodologies and techniques. Finally, whereas the introduction frames and contextualizes the overall research question and presents the research design, the conclusion is mainly dedicated to identifying the policy gaps between the different layers and reflecting upon how the externalization-democratization nexus fits within the EU normative agenda.