Workshop on ‘The Empire Within: Postcolonial Reflections on European Governance, Borders, and Population Management’

DCU Conflict Institute members Dr Fabrizio Cuccu and Dr Sarah Léonard recently organised a workshop at the 12^th European Workshops in International Studies (EWIS) of the European International Studies Association (EISA). EWIS took place at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow (Poland) on 2-4 July 2025.

The workshop focused on ‘The Empire Within: Postcolonial Reflections on European Governance, Borders, and Population Management’. It explored the EU’s (and its member states’) management of populations considered “at-risk” through a postcolonial lens, examining how contemporary policies reflect historical continuities with colonial practices. More precisely, it analysed the EU’s (and its member states’) management and governance of “suspect” populations at two interconnected levels. On the internal level, some participants examined the treatment of migrants, racialized minorities, and other marginalised groups, highlighting how counterterrorism and migration policies disproportionately target these communities. On the external level, other presentations examined international initiatives focusing on development, security, migration among others (e.g. in its Southern Neighbourhood, particularly in countries like Libya, Tunisia, and Turkey, where the EU has outsourced migration control and implemented development programmes that reinforce dependency). 

The workshop will lead to the publication of a journal special issue next year.