Work

Geopolitical Determinants of the European Union’s Migration Policy Shift: From Open-Door to Closed-Border Approaches

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Europe is facing an intensifying migration crisis along the Balkan and Central Mediterranean routes, prompting a shift from earlier open-door policies toward more restrictive approaches. This paper analyzes the geopolitical forces driving the EU’s evolving migration strategy, focusing on border security, demographic pressures, and political tensions within and between EU Member States. Using a multidisciplinary framework and a critical case study design, it examines governmental speeches, media narratives, scholarly research, comparative national policies, and official data. Germany, Hungary, and Sweden are assessed to illustrate contrasting open- and closed-door models and their implications for security, regional stability, and collective EU governance. The study argues that sustainable migration management requires a more balanced, geopolitically informed framework that reconciles security imperatives with the EU’s normative and humanitarian commitments, thereby ensuring long-term stability and coherent policy outcomes across the EU.

Source: Journal of Liberty and International Affairs Institute for Research and European Studies - Bitola

DOI: 10.47305/jlia.2025.1943

Authors: Larisa Vasileska, Ivona Shushak-Lozanovska

Institution: University "St. Kliment Ohridski" - Bitola

Language: English

Topic: Gender and Women's Rights

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $105