The Construction of the Mediterranean Refugee Problem from the Italian Digital Press (2013-2015): Emergencies in a Territory of Mobility
Abstract
The Mediterranean Sea is a historical stage of mobilities and has been a witness to important movements of people and goods since ancient times. In this liquid territory, different social processes of globalization can be observed; yet, in recent years, it has been predominantly depicted as an emergency scene, a crossing platform for those in search of refuge in Europe. This scenario becomes connected to a set of dimensions of securitization and quests for control that redirect the debates about national and European responsibilities regarding maritime territories. In this article, this issue is addressed exploring the construction and development of the social problem of refugees in the Mediterranean, departing from a frame analysis of news items thematically filtered from the digital platforms of two Italian newspapers in 2013-2015. The problem is contextualized in time and content progression, deepening the framing of some critical events, and reframing the Mediterranean as a referent/emergent territory of mobility.