Ontological (In)security of majorities: introduction
Carlà A, Prina F
DOI: 10.1057/s41311-025-00714-9
The challenge to the EU posed by far-right populism and the rise of anti-foreign sentiment demand systematic research on the causes and consequences of xenophobia in all its variants. SECUREU will focus on the role of the securitization of ethnicity (i.e., the representation of migrants and ethnic minorities as an inherent security threat that demands exceptional measures), as pursued by both the EU itself and its individual member states. The network’s activities will highlight the potential social and political problems generated by securitization processes and disseminate the newly generated knowledge to the academic and policy-making communities.
SECUREU’s research explores the securitization of migrants and its consequences for xenophobia in the context of the question of refugees in the EU. SECUREU further investigates the securitization of migrants and ethnic minorities from a historical perspective by focusing on how the framing of different minority groups has evolved over time and how ethnic minorities experience and deal with their representation in public discourse. In developing this research agenda SECUREU will promote a theoretical integration of the ethnicity/migration and securitization fields, which have developed largely independent from one another.
SECUREU brings together researchers from both academic fields to generate new research, educate students and young researchers, produce policy briefs and create new synergies around these key issues. Project partners will produce new knowledge on how, when, and why the EU and individual member states securitize migrants and ethnic minorities and provide new insights into the rise of xenophobia in the EU. The project foresees research, teaching and dissemination activities and will organize symposia, workshops, webinars, research stays, and summer schools.
SECUREU is funded by the EU programme Jean Monnet Networks | Erasmus+
Coordinator
Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals, Spain
Partners
Council for European Studies (European Office), Spain
Eurac Research, Italy
Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe Marburg, Germany
Koç University, Turkey
University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
For further information: Andrea Carlà – andrea.carla@eurac.edu
https://www.europenowjournal.org/secureu-2022/
Discover
See related experts, publications, and research topics.
Eurac Research is a private research center based in Bolzano (South Tyrol) with researchers from a wide variety of scientific fields who come from all over the globe. Together, through scientific knowledge and research, they share the goal of shaping the future.

Our research addresses the greatest challenges facing us in the future: people need health, energy, well-functioning political and social systems and an intact environment. These are complex questions, and we are seeking the answers in the interaction between many different disciplines. [About us](/en/about-us-eurac-research)
Eurac Research Headquarter
Viale Druso 1
39100 Bolzano
Italy
Eurac Research NOI Techpark
Via A.-Volta
39100 Bolzano
Italy
Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
Carlà A, Prina F
DOI: 10.1057/s41311-025-00714-9
Constantin S, Carlà A
This article analyzes processes of securitization in India’s former State of Jammu and Kashmir (SJK), a disputed borderland characterized by a three-dimensional conflict: the international conflict over Jammu and Kashmir, the inter-governmental conflict between the autonomous SJK and the Indian government, and the inter-communal conflict within the SJK. Applying the concept of securitization beyond its traditional Eurocentric perspective, we explore the securitization of transborder kinship in a case study outside the Global North. We examine the perceived threats vis-à-vis the SJK and the Kashmiri Muslim in light of ontological insecurities rooted in the main Indian national narratives and show how dysfunctional diversity governance in a complex geopolitical context intersects with processes of securitization, affecting inter-communal, inter-governmental, and inter-state relations. The article shows that ontological insecurities, combined with fear of separatism and short-sighted political strategies, led Indian political elites to erode the autonomy of the SJK, and undermine its democratic political processes. This, in turn, led to an increasing dissatisfaction among various communities and, in time, to civil unrest, strong religious polarization, communal and state violence, human rights abuses, insurgency, and the rise of separatist Islamic militant groups. This vicious circle turned New Delhi’s fears into a self-fulfilling prophecy. We highlight the continuum of securitization processes and argue that the former SJK could escape the vicious circle of securitization only through a combination of self-governance, good governance, and international governance.
DOI: 10.1093/jogss/ogae034
More information: https://academic.oup.com/jogss/article/10/1/ogae034/7825987
More information: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41311-025-007 ...
Conference: Constellations and challenges of (in)security – the majorities-minorities-migration nexus. Final Symposium of the Jean-Monnet-Network “The Securitization of Migrants and Ethnic Minorities and the Rise of Xenophobia in the EU (SECUREU)” | Berlino | 21.3.2024 - 22.3.2024