Speaking Europe, Shutting Doors: Legitimation of Exclusionary Migration Policies in Slovakia During the 2015 Schengen Crisis

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11230%2F25%3A10497745" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11230/25:10497745 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=qYfgIcwMNS" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=qYfgIcwMNS</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/25739638.2025.2504279" target="_blank" >10.1080/25739638.2025.2504279</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Speaking Europe, Shutting Doors: Legitimation of Exclusionary Migration Policies in Slovakia During the 2015 Schengen Crisis

Original language description

Refugees often face exclusionary practices, and understanding the political dynamics behind these actions is becoming increasingly essential amid recurring crises. This research examines how Slovak political elites deliberately framed migration as a governance issue and security threat during the 2015 European Schengen crisis. The article identifies two primary rhetorical patterns: the institutionalisation of the crisis and Europeanization without commitment. The former illustrates how migration was framed as an existential threat, promoting legal challenges to EU frameworks, border fortifications, and restrictive policies. The latter underscores how the Slovak elites bolstered narratives of national sovereignty by seemingly aligning with European norms while resisting substantial policy commitments. The research demonstrates that political discourse prioritises institutional authority over humanitarian concerns, reducing migrants to bureaucratic entities rather than acknowledging them as individuals with personal experiences. By externalising accountability and portraying Slovakia as a passive recipient of insufficient and harmful EU policies, political elites in Slovakia rationalised exclusionary measures and, at the same time, avoided engaging in integration efforts. These findings complement research on migrant governance, elite discourse, and securitisation in Central and Eastern Europe. Ultimately, the paper calls for additional comparative research on migrant/refugee narratives within the Visegrad Group countries and beyond, reconsidering how crisis-oriented framing influences long-term policy development and EU cohesion in migration management.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_SC - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50601 - Political science

Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe

ISSN

2573-9638

e-ISSN

2573-9646

Volume of the periodical

33

Issue of the periodical within the volume

2

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

21

Pages from-to

403-423

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105005794281