Time: Tuesday 26.5.2020 13:00-14:00
Please join us live via Zoom-stream on the following address:
https://helsinki.zoom.us/j/62477039318
Mehrnoosh Farzamfar: Collective expulsion of migrants as a measure to safeguard the security of Europe: when people become ‘unlawful’
Abstract
In this EuroStorie research seminar presentation, Mehrnoosh Farzamfar will talk about the practice of collective expulsion of migrants at the European external border-crossing points. The prominent position of the European States is that by relying on stronger external Schengen borders – which in practice legitimises the summary return of migrants – Europe would be able to better protect its security, public safety, and the rule of law. In this talk, Mehrnoosh will challenge this official narrative through scrutinising the most recent case from the European Court of Human Rights on the issue of mass expulsion of migrants: the case of N.D. and N.T. v. Spain (February 2020). In Mehrnoosh’s opinion, the question we started asking since 9/11 remains here again: are we compromising on our values and principles in the name of security? Keeping this in mind, should not we seriously question the promise of Europe as an ‘area of Freedom, Security, and Justice’?
About the speaker
Mehrnoosh Farzamfar is a Doctoral Candidate in Constitutional Law at the Faculty of Law and a researcher at subproject 3 of EuroStorie at the University of Helsinki. Currently working on her doctoral thesis on the topic of migration law and security, Mehrnoosh focuses on the tension between protecting human rights of asylum seekers as opposed to safeguarding the national security of States. For more information about Mehrnoosh’s academic activities and research, please visit Univeristy of Helsinki's research portal.