Through the Eyes of the Guardian Newspaper: Securitization and Humanitarian Discourses and the Arrival of Hungarian (1956-1957) and Kosovar Refugees (1999) on Prince Edward Island, Canada

Abstract

This study was conceptualized from the author‟s experiences while he was completing the Canada Exchanges with the Mediterranean: Migration Experiences and their impact on Nationalism, Trans-nationalism and Identity (CEMMENTI) exchange with the University of Malta in 2008. While completing the program, the author was enrolled in a Contemporary Migrations course through the European Research and Documentation Centre and also volunteered at Marsa Open Refugee Centre. The powerful role that the media has in shaping the opinions Maltese have towards refugees was identified in the Migrations course and also through the author‟s personal experiences at Marsa Centre. Based on this premise that the media has a role in affecting the reception experiences of refugees, this research examines sets of articles from Prince Edward Island‟s The Guardian newspaper which focused on refugee arrivals during the 1950s, 1980s, and 1990s. The 1950s articles demonstrate that the arrival of Hungarian refugees to the Island was welcomed by residents. This is contrasted by the 1990s articles which demonstrate that apprehension existed among residents impending the arrival of Kosovar refugees to the Island. The articles from the 1980s discuss two discourses: a discourse which securitizes refugees and a discourse which reaffirms humanitarianism among residents of the host community.

Keywords: refugee, immigration, Kosovo, Hungary, migration, Prince Edward Island, The Guardian