Protecting Refugees Inside, Protecting Borders Abroad? Gender in the EU’s Responses to the ‘Refugee Crisis’

Migration tends to be denoted as a crisis which needs a solution. The European Union has developed policies for dealing with this crisis internally, within its borders, and externally. Both the experiences of migrants and European Union policy responses are gendered and have gendered effects. This article analyses how the European Union refers to gender in its definitions of and responses to the crisis. Grounded in feminist policy analysis, I scrutinize European Union internal and external policies under its Agenda of Migration. The analysis finds that European Union internal crisis responses demonstrate a more comprehensive understanding of gendered vulnerabilities and a commitment to human right provisions. External crisis responses reduce gender considerations to refugee women and the policy objective of reducing refugee arrivals which leads to further curtailing refugees’ access to protection. Showing how the crisis transforms the very meaning and scope of gender considerations to various degrees, the article furthers insights on how the European Union’s normative commitments develop in times of crisis.