Awareness campaigns

This entry examines awareness campaigns as communication tools used in migration management to the aim of shaping potential migrants’ behavior toward desirable social outcomes. Often funded by migrant-receiving countries and implemented by intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, awareness campaigns are interpreted here as a way to deter irregular migration by highlighting its dangers. However, their effectiveness is widely debated, as economic and social factors play a greater role in migration decisions. Critics argue that such campaigns primarily serve as symbolic bordering practices rather than genuine information efforts. In contrast, pro-migrant campaigns promote alternative narratives focused on mobility justice and human rights.