Multidimensional Analysis of Security Concerns over Immigration: the Case of the United Kingdom

Abstract

2 Abstract Building upon the Paris school of securitisation, this dissertation investigates the relationship between securitised migration and the perception of the European Union in the United Kingdom. Being among the first quantitative studies in the field of security, the work applies various data visualisation techniques and standard quantitative methods to study the phenomenon of migration securitisation in the UK between 2004 and 2018 based on the European Social Survey Data. Extensive exploratory analysis uncovers the existence of a distinct group of people in the UK who perceive both the EU and migration as threats. The analysis also finds stark regional and temporal differences that suggest a certain degree of securitisation of the migration issue in the run-up of the Brexit referendum, which disappears shortly after. Regression analysis using a fixed-effect model provides a reliable estimate of a strong and substantial effect of securitised migration on the perception of the EU. Keywords: Brexit, migration, securitisation, United Kingdom, visualisation, regression analysis.