Transitions Online_Around the Bloc-13 May
Highlights from our coverage region: asylum seeker abuse in Croatia; opening up in Uzbekistan; Telegram abandons blockchain; stunning fossils in Bulgaria; and a friendly reminder for Georgia.
More...We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.
Highlights from our coverage region: asylum seeker abuse in Croatia; opening up in Uzbekistan; Telegram abandons blockchain; stunning fossils in Bulgaria; and a friendly reminder for Georgia.
More...
Terrorism with religious ideological background today is a serious global threat. The modern infrastructure and the communications of movement allowed terrorist organizations to be able to attack everywhere in the world. The issue that is a point of interest of this paper is the current situation of returning the foreign terrorist fighters to their home country or third countries and the security consequences that may arise if they are not treated properly. For a more detailed perception of this problem through the case analysis – an operative police action related to the foreign terrorist fighters, the functional aspects of the criminal prosecution bodies of the Republic of North Macedonia will be better perceived and studied. Also, a special emphasis will be placed on the strategy for the fight against violent extremism and the financing of terrorist fighters.
More...
This study examines the effects of the proliferation of SALWs on the security of the Nigerian state. Although this issue has seldom been tackled in regular or academic literature, it reflects the author’s keen awareness that, in an era of globalization, migrants have been identified as important agents in the proliferation of SALWs into third-world countries. The paper seeks to provide an insight into the socio-economic and political variables operating in the source and destination of such movements, with particular emphasis on migrants and arms proliferation. The study uses the qualitative approach for data analysis, it relies on upon, data gathered through secondary sources, and is reinforced with the argument on the liberal theoretical framework of analysis. The paper concludes that, while weapons play a significant role in intensifying conflict that exerts enormous human and economic costs, the causes of such conflicts lie in political, economic, ethnic, and religious differences and disparities. Finally, the paper looks at the appropriateness of examining the full implications of SALWs as a border management theme and the role of complementary measures for facilitating border control.
More...
The paper aims to analyze the development of national and liberation organizations in Baluchistan. The author attempts to answer the following questions: Why had pakistanyiat become obligatory to all people wanting to live in Pakistan? What were the reasons behind the formation of the Baluchistan National Movement, the Baloch Liberation Front, and the Liberation Army? What does the Baloch society expect from the authorities? The study was based on a critical review of the literature and other available and valuable sources such as Jinnah’s speeches. Another method used in the study was a synthesis that allowed the author to form conclusions. Studying Baluchistan means limited access to sources and materials since traveling to the land of Baluchistan is restricted by specific rules, and one can only visit the place under certain circumstances. Research on Baluchistan is relevant for studies of national liberation movements and current internal conflicts.
More...
Fight against international terrorism is also led by a regional organization such as the Commonwealth of Independent States, which demonstrates the experience of effective counter-terrorism in the format of cooperation between CIS member states. This is done on the basis of the Treaty on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism (1999) drawn up in the provisions of the Protocol on the procedure and implementation of joint counter-terrorism measures on the territories of the CIS member states. Programs to combat international terrorism and other manifestations of extremism, for example, developed for the period 2020-2022, come to coordinate the efforts of the CIS states. With the understanding of the extent of the real threat of terrorism, the idea of creating a coordination center arose in the CIS, which later materialized through the creation of the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center (2000). The CIS is in a state of constructive dialogue with various international organizations to find effective ways to combat terrorism.The article will highlight the activities, the political and legal framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States as a regional security organization in the field of combating and preventing terrorism. The priority areas of cooperation between the CIS and other international organizations in the field of combating terrorism will be also analyzed.
More...
In this article the author attempts to describe the social and political reasons of the authoritarian shift in Poland under the Law & Justice (PiS) coalition government. The nationalist and catholic ideology is at the root of dismantling the institutions of the state of law. Unfulfilled economic and social aspirations of large segments of the society were the real reason for the approval of the populist and antidemocratic actions of L&J government. Secondly, the disastrous presidential and parliamentary campaigns of the Civic Platform in 2015 opened the door to power for L&J. There were several self-organized spontaneous protests against antidemocratic policies of the L&J government, but the followers of the governing party have been and still are big enough in number thanks to the support of the Catholic Church hierarchy for the government. Polarization of the Polish society has never been bigger, but prodemocratic attitudes have also been growing recently. Strong prodemocratic local governments and the unanimous support of the majority of the population for the Ukrainian refugees are among the factors of hope for the democratic shift in the Polish electorate, but the opposition parties must undertake a more united and determined action.
More...
The subject of the research, the results of which are presented in this article, was the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022. The aim of the research was to analyze the course of hostilities and identify the causes and consequences of Russian failures. The article tries to answer the following questions: How do Russian actions present themselves in the context of the concept of new generation war? What mistakes did Russia make, and What were their consequences? What factors determined the failure of the first phase of the Russian operation? In the course of the conducted research, it was established that the Russians did not fully exploit the potential of the concept of new generation warfare. It was proved that the Russian operation in Ukraine was conducted inconsistently with the canons of the art of war. It was assessed that there was a set of key factors that had a decisive impact on the failure of the first phase of the Russian operation in relation to its strategic objectives, as outlined in February 2024. It was shown that the first of these was a critical error of misjudging the enemy's potential while overestimating the potential of their own troops. It was established that the Russians prepared and executed the invasion of Ukraine contrary to the canons of the art of war. It was shown that financial resources were misallocated during the implementation of the State Armament Program in 2020. Moreover, it was proved that corruption and wastefulness, underlying the de facto autocratic system of power existing in Russia, are responsible for the actual, different from propaganda, general state of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In the article, the method of critical analysis, to which the available source material (articles, reports, monographs) was subjected, and the method of historical analysis made it possible to analyze the evolution of the Russian concept of a new generation of war were used. Also, the method of induction was used to draw general conclusions from a number of specific observations, the method of deduction was used in the process of moving from general rationales to specifics, and the method of synthesis helped to examine cause-and-effect relationships concerning the subject matter addressed and made it possible to formulate the conclusions. A significant difficulty in the research process was the issue of using Russian sources in a situation where articles with a clear propaganda character are posted in trade journals and other available sources, making their substantive value low. Therefore, the article refrains from citing Russian sources.
More...
The article aims to investigate the impact of the migration phenomenon in the European Union (EU). It briefly examines the concept of smuggling of migrants and the main routes of illegal migration as well as the measures adopted by the EU institutions, in view of the priorities set by the EU institutions and the Member States, to step up efforts to establish an effective, humanitarian, and safe European migration policy. The article also pays particular attention to the illegal nature of this phenomenon and highlights the multiple and far-reaching implications of the activities surrounding illegal migration which generate and reinforce numerous other criminal activities.
More...
The paper presents the fundamental guidelines issued by the reform part of the Croatian state-party leadership in the early 1970s regarding the issue of the increasing number of labour migrants from the Socialist Republic of Croatia in Western Europe. In this context, an analysis of the aforementioned trend within the Communist Party of Croatia was made, which was oriented towards spreading the autonomy of the Socialist Republic of Croatia within Yugoslavia. It limited the introduction of market mechanisms in the Yugoslav economy, and abolished the patterns of operation and behaviour of state-party officials, the roots of which lied in the Yugoslav unitarism or the idea of Greater Serbia. Since the reform movement had been ended in Croatia by force, it was not even attempted to implement a part of the planned policies. Although several policies continued to be advocated, there was no genuine wish or possibility for the implementation. For the purposes of comparison, the paper illustrates – using selected documents from the second half of the 1970s and the 1980s – the relationship of the Yugoslav communist regime to labour migrants, in particular the ones from the Socialist Republic of Croatia, and the main characteristics of the return-emigrant trends in the labour migrant population on the relation Yugoslavia – Western Europe. Nevertheless, in this period, further mass exodus was halted, and even a part of labour migrants returned. This was what the reform part of the Croatian state-party leadership strived to achieve, yet the principal reason lied in the suppressing factors in Western Europe. On the other hand, however, those labour migrants, who managed to keep/get employment in Western Europe in the midst of crisis, were joined by their family members. This radically reduced their chance of return. The Yugoslav authorities claimed in public, and their officials in many closed meetings, how very dedicated they were to the return of labour migrants, although the regime suffered from major difficulties in the context of employment, even of the persons who were forced to return. During the 1960s and in the early 1970s, the Yugoslav diplomatic, consular and other officials abroad continued to maltreat, humiliate and deprive labour migrants of the Croatian nationality of the recognition of their national identity.
More...
Since Poland started the transformation from a country of emigration to a country of immigration, the legal environment related to the employment of foreigners has been constantly changing. These changes seem to be of a bumpy nature, although they implement in a relatively consistent manner certain assumptions that can be called systemic. This article will analyse main directions of legal changes related to the employment of foreigners in Poland, specifying at the same time the objectives that the legislator intended to achieve when introducing them. This will make it possible to show the organisational priorities of labour market regulation and the values that the national legislator aims to protect. Such an analysis, in turn, will make it possible to assess legislative actions and (in the case of their approval) to indicate further necessary improvements made in the spirit of the existing ones or (in the case of their criticism) to set new directions of actions.
More...
In this paper, we have chosen to discuss the topic of illegal migration from the perspective of the authorities responsible for maintaining law and public safety in Romania. Specifically, we will explore their approach to this threat and propose solutions within national strategies for law and public safety.Following an extensive analysis of the current social context, the evolution of criminality, the effects of antisocial acts, as well as the prevention and combat methods employed by other entities within the country and the European Union, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is seeking solutions to reduce the negative impact of these threats on public order. The objectives of national public order strategies vary from country to country, but they all share the common goal of ensuring a safe and secure environment for citizens. Considering factors such as increased mobility (including policies that promote it), legal and illegal migration, the dynamics of the international security environment, interstate relations, and cross-border criminality, cooperation in ensuring public order becomes imperative.National public order strategies are essential tools for preventing and managing events that may disrupt the harmony and stability of nations. They contribute to maintaining the safety of citizens, protecting individual rights and freedoms, and promoting social cohesion. A well-developed and implemented national strategy has a significant impact on the quality of life for citizens, creates opportunities, attracts foreign investments, and thus fosters economic development and social progress.This article provides an overview of the most important aspects considered relevant for the analysis and planning of illegal migration. It aims to review previously developed public order and security strategies, identifying parallels to assess the dynamics of the related criminal phenomenon and the evolution of preventive and counteraction procedures.
More...
The article is aimed at seeking an answer to the question about the place of Polish immigrant organizations centered around cultural activities, Polish artists residing abroad and the general immigrant community within the organizational field focused on the promotion of Polish culture abroad. To answer the question, the author analyses key documents underpinning cultural policy and policy towards diaspora, describes the structure of organizational field including various kind of organizations engaged in promotion of Polish culture abroad. The policy analysis covered the presentation of assumptions on the role the diaspora should play both – as an addressee and the “tool” of public policies. Findings on positioning of organizations representing Polish diaspora in organizational field stemming from the analysis of documents were confronted with the results of state programs analysis. The author focused on 15 state programs ran between 2017 and 2022 – their goals and beneficiaries. The study reveals that immigrant organizations and Polish artist residing abroad had limited access to structural support for their projects, despite policy makers’ positive evaluation of diaspora resources. Members of diaspora are positioned at the periphery of national branding organizational field. Therefore, the resources of numerous members of Polish diaspora – dispersed around the whole world – are still underestimated and unused.
More...
The pushed-back migrants are the main subjects of the humanitarian crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border; however their presence as public discourse producers are rather scarce. The aim of this research is to trace the narrative agency of these people and explore its link to their emancipation. Drawing on the postcolonial theory, we address the question of how the subaltern(ised) subjects produce their discourse. With the analysis of media content, literature, and artistic materials, we argue that the discourse production of pushed-back migrants in Poland is heavily limited, restricted, and often interrupted, however they manifest agency by manoeuvring victimisation and contesting the enemisation of themselves. Using these results, we conclude that the researcher’s role during this crisis should be a mix of translation and representation of what the pushed-back said and were forbidden to say.
More...
Within the framework of global mobility regimes, some bodies are encouraged to move while others are pushed back. Nation-states create control mechanisms to block those who are “undesirable”. Apart from political utility, the colour of the bodies is indicated by the critics as the main criterion of division. However, one more important dimension that intersects with race here is the gender of these bodies. A woman fits the figure of an ideal victim better due to the nationalist patterns of femininity: she is vulnerable, submissive, and deprived of agency. Contrary to a man: his duty in the context of war is to remain in his homeland and fight for it. A man who does not do that, seeking asylum in Europe, is morally doubtful: he is a migrant posing a threat to “our” prosperity and security. This is how people crossing the Polish-Belarusian border are presented to public opinion and contrasted with female Ukrainian refugees. The article offers a critical analysis of gender representations of refugees in the Polish public debate through the prism of postcolonial theory, demonstrating that gendered and racialised colonial discourses underpin rationalisations about who has and who does not have a right to be a refugee.
More...
This study deploys a narrative analysis of stories on the topic of the so-called migration crisis on the EU-Belarus border published on the website of the key Belarusian publishing house Belarus Segodnya between the 1st of June 2021 and the 31st of March 2022. The key eleven narratives were deconstructed through a close engagement with and interpretation of over 1,500 topical publications. The ongoing humanitarian crisis at the EU-Belarus border which peaked in late 2021 followed from the Belarusian regime’s attempt to attain foreign policy goals, foremost the suspension of EU sanctions. The study applies the concept of coercive engineered migration proposed by Kelly Greenhill and finds that the content of most identified narratives fits Greenhill’s predictions that coercing actors focus on manipulating the ability and willingness of targeted states to accept groups of migrants and that challengers tend to impose hypocrisy costs on targets to increase coercive power. The analysis suggests that some of the major state media narratives fit into two groups of coercing strategies proposed by Greenhill while others can be accommodated in the category related to hypocrisy costs. These “blame shifting” narratives cast full responsibility for the origin and persistence of the migrant crisis on the targeted actors. An additional “triggering catastrophe” category is proposed which includes narratives which project cataclysms for the targeted actors and high cost of not hosting migrants for them.
More...
Given that two dramatically different refugee regimens have developed along Poland’s eastern border, this essay explores the social conditions and discourses that facilitate such a radically different treatment of people. The Polish state’s violation of human rights on the Belarusian section of the border and the celebration of these rights on its Ukrainian section have become part of media spectacles. This text analyses both the technical and content-related issues of communication about migrants and refugees from the Global South. It includes typologies of attributional biases in the media towards people on the move, discusses their functions and the ways towards a normalisation of violence. The final section historicises the current negative responses to refugees and sets them in the wider context of the uneasy obligations imposed on the “West” by its professed values. In doing so, this essay touches upon questions not only of a sense of social responsibility, but also of actual responsibility for the people who have died in Polish forests and rivers.
More...
The fundamental necessity of every society is the security of her citizens against internal and external aggression. A secured society promotes development and attracts investors thereby promoting socio -economic well-being of the citizen and building responsible and responsive citizens. The high rate of insecurity has denied Nigeria government and citizens of peaceful atmosphere and socio-economic prosperity is at the low ebb. The intermittent conflicts such as ethno religious, communal, insurgency, farmers – herdsmen conflict has weakened Nigeria security architecture. The emergence of ethnic militias and non-state actors contributed immensely to the insecurity in Nigeria.The complex security situation in Nigeria ranging from insurgency, ethno religious, oil theft, farmers- herdsmen, kidnapping, drug, and human trafficking coupled with the porous borders and associated criminal activities among others were critically examined and posed that socio-economic development and livelihood of Nigeria are at risk, except proactive measure designing to incorporate bottom- top approach, Nigeria will soon slide into failed or collapsed state. This paper, therefore, recommends promotion of socio–economic, collaborative intelligence approach as well as empowerment will contribute in no measure to degrade insecurity and ensure peaceful co-existence.
More...
Migration and security are two complex and interconnected concepts, which have become increasingly relevant and discussed in the context of the continuous development of the globalization phenomenon and at the same time, in the current geopolitical context on the international stage, in which the political situation in certain states becomes critical and conflictual. The phenomenon of international migration from the non-EU area has materialized more and more frequently in recent years, in terms of waves of refugees and illegal migrants arriving in the European Union, reaching the highest figures recorded in 2015. In this respect, the issue of migration, refugees and asylum seekers has become in the last decade a topic included on the European security agenda of the European Union and at the same time a main topic of discourses by European leaders and research dealing with the issue of "securitization of migration". Starting from the hypothesis according to which the migration phenomenon known as the "refugee crisis of 2015", by the way it unfolded and by the management proposed by the institutions of the European Union, produced a division at discursive level among European leaders, the purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate that migration from the European Union has been catalogued and perceived at a discursive level, in 2019-2021 a threat to European security.
More...
This paper explores the political landscape of war-torn Ukraine, focusing on the country’s core domestic problems. The war in Ukraine has led to a significant deterioration of Ukraine’s political landscape. While victory on the battlefield is Ukraine’s utmost priority, escalating internal problems pose additional challenges. With Ukraine having obtained EU candidate status, these problems have moved to a new level on the EU’s membership agenda. The most urgent of these is endemic corruption, which has gained fresh momentum during the war and has put foreign aid at risk. As the costs of the war grow, international pressure on the Ukrainian authorities to show better results increases. Accountability and transparency should become the guiding principles of the reconstruction and recovery processes to maintain Western support and ensure effective postwar reconstruction.
More...