Canlar, Eray2022-09-202022-09-202021https://doi.org/10.32450/aacd.995597http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12575/84058This work examines the increasing trend of externalization followed by the European Union in its migration governance, specifically its border management and asylum policies. The main discussion revolves around whether this externalization trend could be an imperial reflex by the EU or not. The paper starts with examining the arguments related to the EU’s imperial characteristics and policies. This is followed by a brief history of the migration policies of the Union and the imperial characteristics of these policies. Finally, the externalization trend is discussed with examples which show that externalization of migration governance by the EU could be regarded as an imperial reflex. Therefore, this is an evidence of the EU’s imperial character, at least when it comes to the management of its borders.enExternalizationMigrationEuropean UnionArticle20169961303-2518