‘This is not Migration Policy, this is Security, Security, and Security’: The Securitization of Migrants in Finnish Parliamentary Discourse on Instrumentalized Migration

This article examines Finnish political discourse on recent migration events on the eastern border of the European Union and explores its broader societal impacts. Using discourse analysis and a theoretical framework of securitization and ‘othering,’ the study analyzes key Finnish parliamentary debates on instrumentalized migration from 2022–2024. The findings demonstrate how migration and migrants have been constructed as a national security issue in Finland through four dominant securitizing discourses: sovereignty, national protector, dangerous migrants, and transnational insecurities. The analysis shows that securitization in the context of instrumentalized migration takes a distinctly militarized form, in which migrants are depicted as weapon‑like actors, migrants’ rights are disconnected from the issue, and exceptional measures are legitimized. The findings further reveal how exclusionary securitizing rhetoric has become mainstream across party lines in discussions of instrumentalization. By examining how the processes of securitization and othering are aligned, I highlight how securitization, by reinforcing othering and social division, may paradoxically weaken security. I suggest that a more inclusive approach to instrumentalization could reduce the effectiveness of hybrid operations.