Angeliki Dimitriadi Governing irregular migration at the margins of Europe The case of hotspots on the Greek islands Abstract: The present article discusses the gradual transformation of «hotspots» for migrants from sites of transit to places of detention and containment. Hotspots are intrinsically linked to the EU-Turkey Statement, as one of the means by which the Greek State now governs irregular migration. These facilities restrict freedom of movement, but also transform the islands hosting them into places of strandedness. The hotspots are thus transformed into a detention space. By exploring the transformation of the spatial, legal and policy framework, as well as the ways in which migrants attempt to overcome it, this piece analyses the reconfiguration of the Northern Aegean region into a buffer zone, and situate migrant agency within a developing policy context at the external borders of the European Union. Keywords: detention, containment, migrant agency, asylum, borders 1. 1. Introduction Moria is a small village on the island of Lesvos. Until 2014, it was known for the very well preserved Roman Aqueduct, its main tourist attraction. A year and a half later, however, it was mainly associated with with hotspots, detention1, riots and the so called «refugee crisis». In 2015, 860,000 persons entered the European Union (EU) through Greece and 153,000 through Italy2. The largest migration to Europe in recent years caught Member States unprepared, divided and lacking a European policy response to events unfolding at the external borders. The unprecedented speed and size of arrivals raised to the foreground the deficiencies of the Common x Angeliki Dimitriadi, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), Vassilis Sofias 49, Athens, 10676 (Greece). angeliki@eliamep.gr 1 Throughout the article the term «detention» appears frequently. It is utilized to denote imposed restriction of movement and imposed (by law) immobility of irregular migrants. 2 See UNHCR, Operational Portal: the Mediterranean situation, available at http:// data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean. ETNOGRAFIA E RICERCA QUALITATIVA - 1/2017