ABSTRACT
The Mediterranean as a geopolitical region can be defined in many essential respects by the successive migrations which characterize it. Following Fernand Braudel's widely cited description of the Mediterranean as an ‘espace mouvement’ (space of movement) a number of writers have sought to capture the essentially Mediterranean nature of migrations through metaphors such as caravanserai (Ribas-Mateos, 2000). Concerns with the security dimension of migration are a relatively recent manifestation of the evolving significance of migration in the Mediterranean, though historical precedents can certainly be found. The aspiration/description of Europe as ‘an area of freedom, security and justice’ in the treaty of Amsterdam has prompted the question ‘for whom?’ from migrant organizations around Europe. Yet the language of security is now engrained in the European Union's (EU's) discourse, particularly in respect to the Mediterranean region. The European Neighbourhood Policy associates migration firmly with security and this is reinforced in the preparation for, and conclusions from the tenth anniversary of the Barcelona Process in November 2005. 1 ‘Security’ is typical of the serious, purposeful yet ultimately deeply ambiguous words so beloved of drafters of European documentation. The question of what sort of security is being discussed remains.
