Kyilah Terry: Coercion Capital - Migrant Recruitment for Strategic Ends [EN]

Research Factory B/ORDERS IN MOTION

Mi., 18. Juni 2025, 16:15-17:45 Uhr

In Präsenz, Raum HG 109 (Senatssaal)

 

Coercion Capital - Migrant Recruitment for Strategic Ends

Kyilah Terry, M.A.

(Political Science – International Relations, University of Pennsylvania)

The rise of hybrid warfare reflects a world in transition, with migration as a critical yet overlooked tool of geopolitical coercion. While migration discourse often focuses on restrictions, this paper argues that Belarus’s facilitation of migration represents a new coercive mechanism that non-transit states may replicate. Building on previous theories of migrant instrumentalization, I introduce the concept of "migrant recruitment", — a state’s proactive facilitation of migration for strategic ends. By lowering travel costs, easing visa processes, and promoting accessible routes, Belarus exploits EU vulnerabilities, undermining its internal cohesion and destabilizing its neighborhood policies. Situating Belarus’s actions within Russia’s geopolitical strategy, this case study identifies the conditions under which states engage in recruitment for instrumentalized migration and examines the broader risks these tactics pose to both sending states and international stability.

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