"This project examines the evolution of the European Union (EU) asylum and migration policy. It aims to elucidate an important apparent contradiction at the heart of this policy: the simultaneous co-existence of two seemingly opposite trends – ‘securitization’ on the one hand and ‘depoliticization’ on the other hand. The research project aims to account for this apparent contradiction by developing an original multidisciplinary theoretical framework, which combines insights from security studies, public policy and European studies. In addition to this original theoretical contribution, the proposed project will generate new empirical knowledge through the application of this new theoretical framework to three case studies. Those will concern the three European agencies dealing with asylum and migration, which have already been or are in the process of being established (FRONTEX, EASO and the Large-Scale IT Systems Agency). Data will be gathered and analysed according to the principle of methodological triangulation between the analysis of secondary sources, documentary analysis and semi-structured elite interviews. This research project will contribute to strengthening European excellence in social sciences, in particular in security studies, European studies and the study of governance by agencies. In addition, the proposed project will generate policy-relevant findings, which will be of interest to policy-makers dealing with asylum and migration issues and/or agency creation in any policy field."