ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the historical development and current state of migration flows in the central Mediterranean as well as future challenges, focusing on the post–World War II period. The first part gives an account of the shift from north-south to south-north migration, explaining the political and economic reasons behind it. Against this backdrop it shows the transformations of Italy and later Malta from migrant-sending to transit and receiving countries. It also examines the increasing attempts they have made to counter the entry of unwanted migrants, especially by adopting more restrictive migration laws, requesting solidarity from the European Union and collaborating with Libya and Tunisia. The second part investigates the most recent events and dynamics. It also reflects on the main implications of international mobility in the central Mediterranean. These include: processes of ‘securitisation’ of migration in Europe and their contradictory coexistence with humanitarian narratives; the complex relationship between national security, foreign policy considerations and respect for human rights and international law; the impact of ‘externalisation’ of European border controls on Euro-African relations and mobility patterns in the African continent; and the use by North African countries of migration as a tool for coercive diplomacy.
