Navigating Uncertainty: Assessing the Impact of the EU Hotspot Approach in Lampedusa's Migration Management

Despite being a key EU response to the migration crisis in 2015, the “EU hotspot approach” has not been thoroughly studied by academics. Addressing this research gap, this study investigates the implementation and consequences of the “EU hotspot approach” in Lampedusa, considering the numerous organizations present there since 2015. Building from a clear theoretical framework, this paper illustrates how EU migration agencies have strengthened their administrative capacity and influenced other entities working in the field. For a comprehensive understanding of migration management development, interagency coordination and cooperation are widely discussed and examined. The analysis draws on a qualitative content analysis of policy documents, reports, and interviews. This paper found that the “EU hotspot approach” fundamentally shaped migration management in Lampedusa, perpetuating long-lasting problems with the intent of accelerating the identification and registration procedure to facilitate relocation and returns. Thus, the research contributes to the ongoing debate regarding EU migration management at the borders, specifically on the role and influence of EU agencies on decision-making processes about asylum applications. The incapacity of the EU strategy to effectively address migration reception issues, even after decades of experience, reveals the limitations of such institutions. Overall, the thesis concluded that the attempt of the EU to improve migration management, while reinforcing border control, led to the establishment of a temporary solution deemed as a mechanism of “stop-gap”. Hence, a series of recommendations focused on elaborating a clear and detailed legal framework and the successful execution of receiving procedures through interagency cooperation are delineated for the actors involved at the end of this study.