Migration, justice and the European Union

By definition, migration stands between states, individuals and global regimes. It touches on legitimate concerns of different communities, individuals and global actors. Hence, the very possibility of managing migration in a way that satisfies the legitimate justice claims of all involved is constrained by the nature of the issue. Accordingly, the EU seems to be particularly well equipped to strike a balance among the different justice claims of states, humans and subjective individuals. This is so precisely because of the EU’s nature as a complex polity with a sui generis governance (including states, individuals, groups), traditionally compliant with and attentive to the development of international law, and a peculiar understanding of its ‘problematic’ borders. Whether the Union succeeds or not in this titanic enterprise remains however to be explored, and this report presents the first steps in GLOBUS’ exploration of the EU’s contribution to global justice in the area of migration.