This event brings together leading experts to explore how and why migration has become embedded in hybrid conflict strategies. Drawing on real-world cases – from Belarus and Russia to Morocco – the discussion will examine how states use migration as a coercive instrument, and how targeted countries respond under pressure.

What makes this phenomenon particularly complex is the intersection of security, politics, and values. Liberal democracies often face difficult trade-offs between border protection and humanitarian commitments, while responses at the EU level remain fragmented and reactive.

The panel will also introduce a realist perspective on migration, combining structural and domestic-level analysis to better understand state behaviour in an increasingly competitive and unstable international system.

Programme:

14:00–14:20: Opening remarks and keynote:
Weaponisation of Migration – A Realist Account

14:20–15:30: Panel discussion: Migration as a tool of coercion

  • What does it mean to “weaponise” migration?
  • Why has this tactic become more frequent since 2015?
  • Case studies: Belarus-Poland, Russia-Finland, Morocco-Spain
  • How effective is migration coercion in practice?
  • Are European responses strategic or reactive?
  • The role of domestic politics and public opinion in shaping responses

Speakers and participants:

José Miguel Bravo Louwerens
(Head of Strategy, Knowledge Management, Innovation and Research, Ministry of Justice and Security of the Netherlands)

Róbert Gönczi
(Analyst, Migration Research Institute)

Moderator:
Andrés de Castro García
(Associate Professor of International Relations, UNED University)