Hindering Democracy Through Migration Policies? An Analysis of EU External Migration Policies’ Impacts on the Democratisation of Morocco

What are the impacts of the European Union’s (EU) external migration policies on the democratisation of Southern Mediterranean Countries (SMCs)? Even though democracy promotion is an important element of the EU’s external migration policies, there is little academic knowledge about their effects on SMCs’ democratisation. This chapter attempts to start uncovering their impact on this policy field by focusing on EU policy practices. The analysis is done in two stages: (1) by suggesting an innovative theoretical framework, and (2) by applying it to the case of Morocco, a paradigmatic case among SMCs. Focusing on the years between 2015 and 2020, the case study draws on a content analysis of a broad range of qualitative data, including policy documents, literature, reports, and press releases. The research finds that EU external migration policies are likely to have had a negative impact on Morocco’s democratisation trajectory, affecting the EU’s capacity and willingness to exert leverage in this country and working as a tool for Morocco’s autocratic resilience. This outcome would contradict the EU’s own narratives, confirming the existence of a wide and deep gap between EU discourses and actions in this field, further contributing to the “process of disillusionment” of the Barcelona Process.