Illegal immigration: A European Security Concern in the Mediterranean

الملخص

This article debates the issue of illegal immigration as a phenomenon that expands across borders and over regions and a social challenge, its risks have increased in the Maghreb region and the poor Sahel countries in particular, according to its threats to security both in the Mediterranean and within the European continent. The paper aims to investigate the problems caused by this phenomenon in the Mediterranean region, and to prove its importance as a security obsession within the European political agendas and a major determinant in the equation of European security. It provides the following central problem: How does the European approach deal with illegal immigration in the Mediterranean region? Keywords: Mediterranean; Illegal immigration; Maghreb and Sahel region; Social challenge; European security