Unveiling the Liberal Conundrum: Feminist Diplomacy and Europe's Immigration Control Policies

Unveiling the Liberal Conundrum: Feminist Diplomacy and Europe's Immigration Control Policies

In early 2023, the German Federal Foreign Office published guidelines for a Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP), titled "Shaping Feminist Foreign Policy: Federal Foreign Office Guidelines." However, a closer look at these guidelines reveals a potential disconnect between the aims of feminist foreign policy and those of migration and asylum policies.

The German FFP primarily focuses on international Women, Peace and Security agendas, gender equality in crisis contexts, and combating sexual violence, with strong engagement in peacebuilding and humanitarian aid. Yet, migration and asylum policies, which often involve border control, security measures, and migration management considerations, do not explicitly figure in Germany’s FFP documents or initiatives.

This omission may reflect a tension or lack of integration between feminist foreign policy goals and migration control priorities. There is no explicit indication in available official sources that Germany’s FFP fully incorporates or aligns with its migration and asylum policies, suggesting possible policy compartmentalization or conflict.

Academic analysis of German FFP discourse highlights ongoing challenges related to historical coloniality and the need for critical reflection, implying that feminist foreign policy is still evolving and may not yet have fully addressed complex issues like migration that intersect with feminist and human rights agendas.

Broader European and global policy trends show feminist foreign policies grappling with the reconciliation of feminist goals and national interests, including migration control; this tension is not unique to Germany. The omission suggests a discursive and practical gap, where feminist foreign policy advances gender justice in some areas, but migration control policies operate largely in a separate domain, possibly reflecting conflicting priorities or political sensitivities.

The absence of migration and asylum policy within Germany’s Feminist Foreign Policy guidelines appears indicative of a conflict or at least disconnect between the aims of feminist foreign policy and those of migration control, rather than an integrated, harmonized approach.

This disconnect is not lost on critics. The guidelines do not mention the words "asylum" or "migration" and have received criticism from the Heinrich Böll Foundation and 17 NGOs. Right-wing and inflammatory discourses are now part of the political mainstream in Germany, and the German government and the EU have been implementing restrictive asylum politics, with proposed changes to the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) further limiting access to asylum rights.

The term "lean-in feminism" refers to an individualistic, careerist feminism that caters to a subset of economically advantaged women rather than challenging broader structural barriers or systems that oppress women and marginalized groups. The discourse surrounding Germany's FFP may reflect a similar lean-in approach, prioritizing certain feminist issues while overlooking others.

As the debate surrounding Germany's FFP continues, it is crucial for researchers, government, and non-governmental organizations to continuously negotiate the meaning of FFP and strive for a more comprehensive and integrated approach that addresses the intersections of gender justice, migration, and asylum.

References:

1. [German Federal Foreign Office Guidelines, 2023]
2. [Eule, 2014]
3. [Joubany, 2011]
4. [Neuman, 1993]
5. [Hemmerling, 2003]
6. [Genova, 2013]
7. [Schwenken, 2018]
8. [Mertus, 1998]
9. [Critical migration scholarship]
10. [Heinrich Böll Foundation and 17 NGOs, 2023]
11. The German Feminist Foreign Policy guidelines, published by the Federal Foreign Office in 2023, prioritize gender equality in crisis contexts, international Women, Peace and Security agendas, and combating sexual violence, but there seems to be a lack of integration with migration and asylum policies.
12. The omission of migration and asylum policies in the guidelines has sparked criticism from the Heinrich Böll Foundation and 17 NGOs, as some argue that the discourse surrounding Germany's FFP may reflect a lean-in approach, prioritizing certain feminist issues while overlooking others.
13. As the German government and the EU have been implementing restrictive asylum politics, with proposed changes to the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) further limiting access to asylum rights, it is crucial for researchers, government, and non-governmental organizations to strive for a more comprehensive and integrated approach that addresses the intersections of gender justice, migration, and asylum.
14. In the broader context of European and global policy trends, feminist foreign policies are navigating the reconciliation of feminist goals with national interests, including migration control, but the absence of migration and asylum policy within Germany’s FFP guidelines suggests a disconnect between the aims of feminist foreign policy and those of migration control.

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