Leiden University Student Repository

Diesler, Christin (2026)

Security Over Human Rights? How Securitization Of Migration Impacts Variation In Compliance With ECtHR Non-Refoulement Judgments

Master thesis | Political Science (MSc)

This thesis examines how securitization of migration impacts variation in state compliance with European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments concerning the principle of non-refoulement. Using a most similar systems design, it compares three ECtHR judgments, their compliance processes and outcomes and the degree of securitizing discourse during compliance-decisive time episodes: Hungary after Ilias and Ahmed v. Hungary (2019), Italy after Hirsi Jamaa and Others v. Italy (2012) and Greece after Sharifi and Others v. Italy and Greece (2014). The study uses qualitative process tracing supported by a targeted qualitative analysis of discourse and documents. Findings indicate that high securitization coincides with lower-end compliance. The analysis suggests that migration securitization activates a security logic that prioritizes border control and narrows feasible compliance options, bias-ing states toward adopting minimal or non-protective formal compliance measures.

ECtHR

non-refoulement

securitization

migration

human rights

compliance

Author

Diesler, Christin

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

International Politics

Supervisors

Kinacioglu, M.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en