This project investigates the so far underexplored issue of digital information campaigns by governments aiming at dissuading people from migrating to the EU. Drawing from critical theory, migration studies and political communication, the project conceptualises such campaigns as governmental bordering practices enabled by the affordances of social media. The project asks: 1) What kinds of information do these campaigns disseminate to which target audiences? 2) What are the similarities and differences between campaigns across EU countries and how can they be explained in relation to migration governance within the EU? The project investigates campaigns across five countries with different (geo-)political positions in the EU (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy), employing multiple methods including expert interviews with government officials, content analysis of the digital campaigns and social network analysis of the involved governance actors.
