Italy and the Militarization of the Euro-Mediterranean Border Control Policies

In this chapter, I analyse the leading role played by Italy in the increasing militarisation of border control policies taking place at the EU level. I do this by focusing on the evolution of the Italian maritime border control policies in the past twenty years, and thus describing the process that has led to the creation of a complex and integrated border control apparatus. I start with a preliminary examination of the wider context in which the control of irregular migration by sea takes place in the Mediterranean scenario, focusing then on the description of the Italian border control apparatus. In particular, I will describe the legal basis and the complex institutional framework that shaped maritime border surveillance policies in the past twenty years. These policies will be analysed by describing their evolution up to the latest operational activities launched in the Strait of Sicily with the aim to tackle the refugee crisis. By way of conclusion, some final remarks will offer a key to interpret the main driving forces behind the increasing militarisation of immigration law enforcement at the Euro-Mediterranean border.