The Securitization of Migration: Greece in the 1990s

The emergence of mass migration to Greece in the 1990s—one unforeseen by political elites and the mass public—resulted in markedly increased levels of hostility and fear vis-à-vis migrants. Interpreting this response from the perspective of societal security, we analyse both public opinion data and elite discourse.

We argue that the official policies of the Greek state and public pronouncements of political leaders helped foster and perpetuate an interpretation of migration centred on threat, fear, criminality and security. Over the course of the decade, Greek public opinion and elite rhetoric were clearly characterized by a sense of danger and threat, both to Greek national culture as well as to individuals' own personal security.