Terrorism, securitization of the nation and refugee flows: Implications of policies and practices in a post-911 era

Abstract

This Master's thesis examines the impact of the events of 9/11 on the discourses and practices that attempt to regulate the flow of refugee populations in Canada. Discourse analytical techniques are used to analyse a corpus of official documents that have contributed to the reframing of the status of refugees. The thesis provides an overview of the development of refugee policy in Canada and explores the world context for contemporary refugee flows. It draws on the securitization paradigm to track the discursive processes that have served to establish links between terrorism, national security and refugees in Canadian governmental discourses and its related practices. The thesis also draws attention to Canada's national and international commitments to protect human rights, and the challenges Canada has faced in maintaining a balance between its humanitarian tradition and its new pre-emptive security approach. It is argued that the new War on Terror, has, as a consequence, targeted innocent and vulnerable populations such as refugees, in this way eroding their rights.