Project description

Today’s society is an expression of the second modernity, its main features being the phenomena of globalization and migration. Both phenomena require a complex research approach as they shape everyday life and affect the transformation of societies, identities and cultures. Precisely for these reasons, but also due to recent events and challenges faced by the European Union, this project aims to gain insight into the changes triggered by globalization and migration, especially in western societies marked by negative demographic trends. Due to the complexity of the issue, the project Globalization of migration, Anti-immigrant parties and Xenophobia in the European Union: Reflections on the Croatian Society and State of the 21st Century (GlobMigrant) is based on four thematic sections.

, provides an insight into the phenomenon of globalization and simultaneous reactionary processes in the form of renationalization, an anti-immigrant political discourse, the foundation of anti-immigrant parties and the rise of xenophobia in Europe. We named this process ‘simultaneous differentiality’ and in the present project proposal, it represents a new methodological and analytical framework alongside methodological nationalism and methodological cosmopolitanism. A component of the methodological framework is the construction of fundamental concepts, definitions and methods of research.

Migration, asylum and security issues in the European Union and South East Europe (the Balkan and the Mediterranean route) in the context of a risk society, is focussed on the challenges and relations arising from the refugee crisis, with an emphasis on the issue of security and the formulation of modern migration policies. Global migration is a major challenge for the European Union, regardless of whether it is economic or forced as a result of wars and the destruction of states.

The third thematic section: The phenomenon of anti-immigrant parties and xenophobia in the European Union in the 21st century, is focussed on researching anti-globalization processes manifested as reactive responses to globalization. Globalization and migration are multidimensional phenomena, as their simultaneous differentiality produces lines of conflict regarding migration: anti-immigrant, populist and radical right-wing parties

Finally, the fourth thematic section: The impact of migration globalization on Croatian Society and State in the 21st century, deals with the impact of the globalization of migration on Croatian society and state in the 21st century, considering that by entering the European Union, the Republic of Croatia became a part of the global migration arena.

Regulation politics, scenarios and migration strategies

We consider a scientific approach necessary for drafting regulation politics, scenarios and migration strategies. Additionally, Croatia is faced with the problem of a decreasing total population (demographic deficit), due to a discrepancy between the number of births, deaths, and emigrants. Having this in mind, it is necessary to analyze the demographic dimension of globalization and its reflection on Croatian society and state, which is the focus of this project proposal.

Specific scientific goals were derived from the project’s general objective and arranged in individual thematic sections:

Globalization of migration and global migration

1. Niederberger – will examine the recent failure of national democracies, the European multilevel system and the global legal and political structure in general to adequately address migration and resistance to it, as well as the general reasons/causes of the globalization of migration, the impact of transnational factors on migration processes with the aim of establishing a structured matrix based on obtained data.
2. Ž. Paić – will analyse the phenomenon of migration globalization starting from the perspective of phenomenology, poststructuralism, biopolitics, theoretical paradigms on the issue of the ‘Other’ (from multiculturalism to interculturalism) with the aim of redefining the concept of foreigners, stateless persons and nomads.

Migration, asylum and security issues in the European Union and South East Europe (the Balkan and the Mediterranean route) in the context of a risk society

1. Polović – will examine the aspects of forced migration as a security challenge for the European Union in the 21st century.
2. Cvijič – will conduct case studies of Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia on the techniques used for the government of risk and illegal migration on the Balkan route.
3. Ambrosini – will examine the issue of asylum in South East Europe and the Mediterranean in order to provide specific good practice proposals and policy recommendations that can contribute to improving asylum conditions in other structures within or beyond the area analyzed.

The phenomenon of anti-immigrant parties and xenophobia in the European Union in the 21st century

1. Brčić Kuljiš – will examine, detect and map anti-immigrant parties in the EU in the 21st century, starting from the assumption of a shift in the ideological paradigm which states that anti-immigrant parties are closely related to right-wing politics.
2. Milardović – will investigate how EU migration policies influence the rise of xenophobia.
3. Polović – will examine election results in the project period to determine the citizens’ attitudes towards migration in the EU.

The impact of migration globalization on Croatian Society and State in the 21st century

1. Milardović – will conduct a critical analysis of migration globalization/global migration on Croatian society and state in the 21st century.

The level of insight to be gained by this project can be useful to all institutions in Croatia and the European Union that, whether in a scientific or practical manner, deal with migration, foreigners, integration, multiculturalism, interculturalism, anti-immigrant parties and xenophobia in the context of migration policies and ideologies. This research will show how migration affects the stability of western societies considering the rise in populism, anti-immigrant parties and xenophobia with a special reference to Croatian society and state in the 21st century.