Frontex: a case of securitization? : A qualitative study of Frontex operational strategy

The purpose of this study is to examine if the european coast guard and border agency named Frontex has an operational strategy that is securitized. This study examines three different discourses in the operational strategy and uses a securitization theory as a model for explanation. The securitization theory presented in this study has three different stages that you can use to explain whether a discourse is securitized or not and if an actor is trying to break free from the normal political channels. The three different stages of securitization are: 1) Politization which means that an actor hasn’t broken free from the normal political rules and that the discourse which the actor is working in isn’t securitized. 2) Securitizing move which means that an actor is trying to affect the discourse in the way so that a threat has been constituted. 3) Successful securitization which means that an actor has managed to securitize a discourse and successfully constitute an existential threat which has been acknowledged by the audience of the actor. This will lead to an increase in resources for the actor so that the constituted threat can be dealt with. What this study concluded was that the operational strategy can be seen as securitized in some regards but also politized in others. The study also acknowledged the existence of some securitization moves which means that the actor in this case Frontex was trying to move the discourse. What this study also concluded was that there is needed more material and time put down to get a more conclusive answer, but this study can although be seen as an introduction into the subject and how securitization theory can be used to analyze different materials.