Please cite as : Trauner, Florian, Imke Kruse and Bernhard Zeilinger (2012): Values versus security in the external dimension of EU migration policy: a case study on the readmission agreement with Russia, In: Noutcheva, Gergana, Karolina Pomorska and Giselle Bosse (eds): The EU and its neighbours: values vs. security in European foreign policy. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 201-217. VALUES VERSUS SECURITY IN THE EXTERNAL DIMENSION OF EU MIGRATION POLICY: A CASE STUDY ON THE EC READMISSION AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA Florian Trauner, Imke Kruse and Bernhard Zeilinger 1 Introduction Since the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty, the creation of a European Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) has become a major treaty objective of the EU. Although primarily thought of as an EU internal security regime, the EU has developed an external dimension to its justice and home affair policies, which has in turn impacted on the EU’s interactions with the outside world. The efforts to create a closer internal-external security nexus have been based on the understanding that the EU may increase its problem- solving capacity in relation to transnational challenges such as the fight against irregular migration, organised crime or terrorism, if it manages to engage third countries - in particular those countries neighbouring the EU - in achieving its JHA-related objectives. This development has received a great deal of scholarly attention. For instance, Rijpma and Cremona (2007: 12) have described it as the ‘extra-territorialisation of EU migration policies and the rule of law’ (see also Bigo and Guild, 2005; Balzacq, 2009; Wolff et al., 2009; Carrapico and Trauner, 2012). Against the background of the EU’s efforts to minimise irregular migration into the Union, migration control policy has become a particularly important issue area in the EU’s cooperation with third countries (e.g. Lavenex, 2006). In fact, when the Schengen agreements 1 We would like to thank Heidrun Maurer and the editors of this book for their helpful comments on earlier versions of the chapter.