The Most Insidious Weapon of the Changing World: Migration

Abstract

In today’s world, with changes in the perception of war and the replacement of conventional war by a new generation of wars, the tools and methods used by states and non-state actors for reaching their goals have changed, as well. One of these unconventional tools is human migration, and especially mass migration. In this framework, the use of migration as a weapon of sorts by states and non-state actors for reaching their various goals has increased, and the extent of the influence of this weapon, particularly in the hands of actors with evil intent, can be seen very clearly from experiences to date. The aim of the present study is to raise awareness among readers by creating a conceptual framework for the “weaponization of migration,” a phenomenon that is increasing daily but has not been sufficiently studied academically yet. Since it does not reflect violence externally and is mostly conducted through discreet methods, it is difficult to distinguish when migration is being used as a weapon, in spite of its power. Therefore, raising awareness of the weaponization of migration, which is affecting the lives of all actors engaged in the international arena and especially states, as well as millions of people, is significant, and policymakers should be encouraged to develop and diversify defense mechanisms.