Lecture by Valsamis Mitsilegas, Queen Mary University of London

Discussant:  Andrew Geddes, MPC, EUI

The talk will embark on a critical evaluation of the criminalisation of migration by the European Union and the Member States. By focusing on the criminalisation of the facilitation of unauthorised entry on the one hand, and the criminalisation or irregular entry and re-entry as such on the other, the preventive purposes and shaky normative foundations of the use of criminal law to regulate migration flows will be highlighted. The talk aims to generate critical debate around the question of ‘why criminalise migration’ and to explore decriminalisation and protection avenues offered by fundamental rights and EU law.