Mimansa Joshi

Migration is an age-old human journey, from people searching for new livelihoods to those escaping conflict, natural disasters, or persecution. Today, over 280 million people live outside their country of birth, moving for work, education, family, or safety. Yet, even as mobility increases, powerful states, especially in the Global North, often frame migration as a security threat, equating it with illegality, terrorism, or social burden. India, Russia, the EU, and others have introduced stricter border controls, digital surveillance, and harsh rhetoric that define migrants, especially undocumented individuals and women, primarily as risks. 

This framing discounts the human experience behind these movements, such as hope, fears, economic necessity or survival motives that drive people northward, across deserts, seas, and hostile checkpoints. It also hides a troubling truth that when legal pathways are blocked, many migrants are forced into irregular routes, often uncontrolled, dangerous, and predatory. Women migrants face layered threats since they are more likely to experience sexual and gender-based violence, reproductive health neglect, and workplace abuse. They often move through under-regulated jobs like domestic care, agriculture, and informal labour, where legal protection is minimal. Gender-responsive policy is rare, even when frameworks like the Global Compact for Migration call for attention to these issues. This article uses key theoretical lenses such as Securitization Theory (Buzam et al., 1998), Feminist International Relations (Tickener, 1992) and Intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1991) to analyse how migration is constructed as a security issue, how gendered vulnerabilities emerge and how policy responses may reinforce or resist these dynamics. 

While this discussion centres on migration, there are deeper issues such as workforce exploitation and coercion, that sit at the edge of this analysis. The focus here remains on migration itself, revealing the patterns and gaps that future efforts, including those on human trafficking, can build upon. 

The article proceeds in seven parts: it first examines how migration is securitized through legal and discursive means; second, it maps the specific gendered vulnerabilities experienced by migrant women; third, it unpacks the structural and intersectional drivers of these vulnerabilities; fourth, it explores emerging feminist policy alternatives within a human security framework; fifth, it highlights how increasing irregularity and informality produced a shift toward exploitation; sixth, it presents comparative case studies from the EU-Libya migration pact and the India-Bangladesh border and finally, it offers policy recommendations aimed at reorienting migrating governance around dignity, equity and gender-responsive security. 

1. Securitization of Migration

Borders as Security

Following 9/11, migration became deeply intertwined with national security. States erected physical walls, deployed surveillance technology, and passed “anti-migrant” legislation amplifying fear and control. Politicians commonly link undocumented migration with terrorism, crime, and health risks. Discourse often frames migrants as dangerous outsiders, legitimizing harsh state actions. 

Gendered Narratives

Gendered narratives shape who is seen as “vulnerable” and who is seen as a “threat”. Single men from the Global South are often stigmatized as security risks, while women and children may be portrayed as “deserving”. But this “deservingness” can be conditionally granted by states only under limited categories, reinforcing control rather than care. 

Structural Securitization

Beyond walls and laws, structural securitization is pervasive since legal frameworks, digital systems, and asylum procedures are all designed to filter out and contain migrants rather than support them. Policies are normalized through narratives of national stability, public safety, or economic well being even when such frames harm migration as a human phenomenon.

This section is analysed through the framework of Securitisation Theory which explains how political actors transform migration into a perceived existential threat thus justifying extraordinary measures. Such securitization discourse makes it politically feasible to suspend norms of human rights and protection.

2. Gendered Vulnerabilities in Migration

Transit Violence & Sexual Exploitation

Women on irregular routes routinely face sexual violence from smugglers, border officials, or other migrants. Reports from West and Central Africa show many women prepare for this risk by buying contraception before departure. Gendered violence is an unfortunate norm on paths without legal oversight or safe infrastructure. 

Applying Intersectionality as a lens here helps reveal how multiple axes of identity such as gender, race, class, sexual orientation intersect to intensify risks during transit thus making experiences highly differentiated and complex.

Reproductive Health Neglect

Studies show many migrant mothers give birth in makeshift camps without adequate medical care. Inadequate planning for maternal health leads to high stress, stillbirth, or postpartum trauma. Women and girls often face stigma and invisibility when it comes to reproductive needs, thus highlighting a hidden gender policy gap.

Work and Isolation

Women, especially those in domestic or informal work, are left vulnerable. Many have no contracts, no union support, and no access to health or social benefits. Employers may confiscate passports, withhold wages, or use confinement, leading to systems of dependency and control. 

3. Structural Drivers and Policy Context

Economic and Gendered Origin Factors

Economic inequalities are key push factors. Women in countries like the Philippines, Moldova, and Indonesia migrate due to a lack of opportunity, high unemployment, or caregiving roles. Gender- responsiveness development remains limited, and women often have less education, fewer job opportunities, but greater caregiving burdens.

Legal Barriers and Informality

Legal protections may exclude many women. Visa regimes are often designed for male-dominated work sectors, leaving women excluded. Countries like Nepal use bans on women migrating for care jobs under the guise of protection, which paradoxically push women into underground, informal migration.

Intersectional Inequality

Gender combines with race, ethnicity, sexuality, and disability, compounding vulnerability. LGBTQ+ migrants face discrimination and outright violence. Rohingya women navigate displacement and layered persecution. Discrimination isn’t just prejudice but shapes policy access at each migration stage.

This analysis also draws on Feminist International Relations, which critiques how global political structures reproduce patriarchal hierarchies that frame migration governance and security measures. Feminist IR emphasizes that security is not only about state borders but also about individual bodily safety and human dignity. 

4. Human Security and Feminist Policy Alternatives

Gender-Responsive Governance

The Global Compact for Migration highlights gender- responsive, human-security-oriented policies ranging from safe pathways to non-discrimination.

These include:

• Regular migration routes for women
• Social protection irrespective of status
• Confidential reporting of abuse
• Gender-sensitive health care

Examples in practice

• Indonesia’s Domestic Worker Roadmap grants formal rights to overseas workers.
• The Philippines’ Magna Carta for Women addresses the root causes of migration
• EU national plans integrate Women, Peace and Security into migration policy. 

Persistent Gaps

Despite these initiatives, many states lack capacity, funding, or political will. The UK’s zero-tolerance enforcement policies undermine charity services, pushing undocumented migrants underground. Tightly co-opted “protection” schemes often reinforce security agendas. 

5. Soft Pivot Towards Exploitation 

As migration becomes increasingly irregular due to state barriers, the accumulation of vulnerability raises a serious risk

• Irregular pathways force reliance on smugglers, increasing exposure to exploitation, debt, violence, and forced labour. 
• Work isolation and informal employment lead to systemic abuse, passport confiscation, unpaid labour, and debt systems. 
• Structural pressures create a protective gap from which exploitation can flourish. 

Case Studies 

These two important case studies reveal how the multipolar diplomatic landscape is reshaping perceptions of security, terrorism, and gender. 

1. EU-Libya Migration Pact: The EU-Libya migration pact is a stark example of how migration management has become entangled with securitised diplomacy. Since the 2015 migration crisis, the EU has increasingly outsourced border control to countries like Libya, aiming to stop migrants before they reach Europe. While framed as humanitarian protection, this strategy often hides severe human rights abuses, particularly against women and girls. Women fleeing forced marriage, domestic violence, or female genital mutilation face horrific risks along these routes, yet their movement is often criminalised rather than protected. In Libyan detention centres, migrants endure sexual violence, trafficking, and torture, enabled by EU funding and training programs like Operation Sophia. Despite Europe’s human rights rhetoric, this externalised border policy effectively absolves the EU of legal responsibility while subjecting migrants to violence. Feminist scholars argue this is not just a policy failure but a deliberate system that racializes and genders migration. Women migrants, often women of colour, muslim and economically vulnerable, are simultaneously invisible as victims and hyper-visible as threats. Labels like ‘illegal migrant’ erase their reasons for fleeing and lump them together with traffickers or terrorists, fueling harmful narratives and justifying harsh measures like detention and deportation. The EU’s collaboration with Libya undermines international refugee protections, violating the principle of non-refoulement by sending people back to places where they face persecution. Women subjected to rape and torture in Libyan facilities are often returned to the same dangers, despite rulings from European courts condemning such practices. Through a feminist lens, the EU-Libya pact reflects an ethical failure. Rather than safeguarding vulnerable people, it uses women’s suffering to justify policies that deepen their harm. Feminist perspectives demand shifting migration governance from border security to human security, prioritising the safety and agency of women and girls, recognising their unique risks and ensuring protection takes precedence over containment. Here, feminist perspectives primarily refer to intersectional feminism which analyses how overlapping identities for example gender, race, class etc. shape vulnerability and agency as well as postcolonial feminism to critique how migration governance reproduces colonial hierarchies and radicalized controls. In the end, the EU-Libya agreement exemplifies how securitised diplomacy in a multipolar world can betray human rights, weaponize gendered vulnerabilities, and turn migration into a site of violence rather than refuge

2. India-Bangladesh Border: The India-Bangladesh border is one of South Asia’s most heavily surveilled frontiers where migration, trafficking, and security concerns collide. Women crossing this border while fleeing violence, poverty, or trafficking are often branded as “illegal infiltrators,” erasing the complex reasons behind their movement. Political narratives, particularly in regions like Assam and West Bengal, link migration to religious identity and national security, fueling communal tensions and justifying harsh border policies. Policies like Assam’s NRC and the proposed CAA deepen this divide, criminalising Muslim migrants while offering selective protection to others. Women migrants, especially Bangladeshi Muslims, face compounded risks of detention, deportation, and violence. Security forces like the BSF have faced repeated allegations of human rights abuses, including sexual violence, yet accountability remains scarce. Anti-trafficking efforts often fixate narrowly on sexual exploitation, neglecting other forms of coercion such as forced labour or marriage. This global, security-driven approach depoliticises trafficking, reducing it to a border-control issue rather than addressing root causes like gender inequality and economic precarity. Feminist scholars and local organisations argue for survivor-led strategies over punitive measures. Community initiatives in the border regions demonstrate that grassroots support and care networks better protect women and challenge the state-centric security-first approach that dominates current policies. Overall, the India-Bangladesh border shows how migration and trafficking are fused into a single security narrative, leaving vulnerable women caught between violence and indifference. Feminist perspectives urge shifting security thinking to centre the real experiences and agency of migrating and trafficked women.

While both the EU- Libya Pact and the India -Bangladesh border illustrate how migration is securitized and gendered, they operate under different migraine governance models. The EU externalizes border control to third countries resulting in outsourced human rights abuses whereas South Asia’s migration regime intertwines security with communal politics and citizenship laws. 

Subsequently, the Gendered Impacts also differ. In Libya, women face institutionalized sexual violence within detention centres funded by external actors; along the India-Bangladesh border, women are caught in religiously charged security discourses and community tensions. A comparative analysis underscores that securitization and gendered vulnerabilities are context-specific shaped by geopolitical interests, local politics and historical legacies. Taken together, these case studies reveal how gender, migration, and security politics collide in the multipolar world, exposing the human cost of policies that prioritise state power over individual dignity. 

The EU-Libya Migration Pact stands as a stark reminder of how border security can become a front for outsourced violence. Women escaping forced marriage, domestic abuse, or female genital mutilation face brutal detention, sexual violence, and torture in Libyan camps facilitated by European funding. Here, feminist critiques expose how racialized and gendered narratives transform women into both invisible victims and hyper-visible threats, justifying policies that perpetuate harm instead of offering sanctuary. 

At the India-Bangladesh border, women fleeing violence, poverty, or trafficking are frequently branded as “illegal infiltrators” caught in a security net that conflates migration with criminality and communal politics. Local feminist groups show that community-based care can protect and empower survivors where state systems fail

Collectively, these cases show how securitised diplomacy reduces complex human crises to questions of borders and threats. Across contexts, gender-sensitive language too often remains symbolic, masking the persistence of patriarchal power structures and racialized hierarchies. Feminist perspectives remind us that genuine security must be measured not by the strength of borders but by the safety, dignity, and agency of those forced to cross them. Ultimately. This analysis underscores that unless fear-driven security paradigms are replaced with human-centred justice, the walls erected in the name of safety will continue to entrap the very population they purport to protect. 

Policy Recommendation

Addressing gendered migration demands more than border control. It requires policies that protect human rights, amplify women’s voices, and tackle the root causes of displacement. The following policy recommendations aim to transform security into true safety for all. 

• Expanding Safe and Regular Routes

Develop gender-responsive work visas aligned with labor market needs, especially in Europe and the Middle East. 

Support family reunification and care-oriented immigration policies.

Design cross-border Safe Mobility Corridors for women with dedicated resources like legal aid, healthcare and anti-trafficking mechanisms especially along high-risk routes. 

• Protect reproductive and Health Needs

Guarantee non-discriminatory health services including maternal and mental health regardless of status. Fund mobile clinics at transit zones and refugee sites.

• Strengthen Labor right

Support unionization rights, enforce bans on document confiscation and guarantee wage protections for all workers, including domestic. 

• Improve Data Accountability

Mandate gender-disaggregated, intersectional data in migration systems and create independent watchdogs to monitor policy effects.

Conduct Gender Justice Audits within border security and immigration enforcement agencies to identify and eliminate discriminatory practices particularly against women, LGBTQ+ persons and ethnic minorities.

• Promote Regional and Multilateral Cooperation

Encourage labor-pooling agreements and mutual recognition of qualifications.

Share best practices in gender-responsive migration governance across regions.

• Integrate Feminist Diplomacy

Embed gender units in foreign ministries and migration agencies.

Train officials on gender and human security approaches, thus avoiding embedded feminism (referring to the inclusion of feminist language or gender-sensitive policies that, while appearing progressive may ultimately reinforce state surveillance and control rather than dismantle oppressive systems) that serves control agendas. 

Ensure migrant-led governance input by formally including migrant women in the design, monitoring and evaluation of migration and border policies. Their lived experiences must inform diplomatic priorities. 

Reframing Migration: Towards Gendered Human Security

Migration is much more than transit. It embodies people’s stories, hopes, and challenges, but when migration is framed primarily as a security problem, it strips movement of its humanity and pushes people into the shadows. Targeting gendered vulnerabilities such as sexual violence in transit, reproductive health neglect, and informal abusive work are not exceptions but predictable outcomes when migration is criminalized and restricted.

By recognising migration as a human experience shaped by gender, power, and policy, we can begin to craft laws and support systems that uphold dignity. Safe migration paths, reproductive care, labour protections, confidential services, better data, and regional cooperation are not just ideals but practical steps toward care-centred governance. When migration is governed with empathy and equity, we not only reduce risk but build resilient systems that can adapt to emerging challenges ranging from climate displacement to global inequality. A humanistic approach to migration doesn’t ignore complexity; instead, it embraces it thus reshaping policy to meet the messiness of human movement. Out of these deeper vulnerabilities emerges a pressing concern, for what happens when people face extreme exploitation, coercion or abuse. Recognising the landscape of risk created by current migration systems is critical, not to preempt the agenda but to understand the full picture since only then can policy be truly protective and not just restrictive.

References

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