engleski

The Raise of Border Fences: New geographies of 'Defense Walls' in Europe

Old or classic geographies of war produce new locations of 'battles' in global contemporary security environment. The new spatialities of defense are visible in new border walls emerging in Europe of 'no borders'. Reallocation and re- bordering is emerging both on global and on the local levels. The main aim of this paper is to show re-bordering practice in the case of crisis due to the old and new security challenges. Globalization, new types of warfare and new kinds of war changed the importance of national borders. Nevertheless, it is obvious that this re-bordering process influenced creation of new divisions and borders on global and local level. This paper will analyze how distant war zones influence and are central to the construction of everyday perceptions of the borders of Europe, namely the Schengen project. Geopolitical imaginations of borders, its changing location, and 'strength' depend on security perceptions of threats that change over time. But, 'The Great Wall of Schengen', no matter its different geographical imaginaries over time, always was defense wall towards Others and depended on the elements of securitization. Today, more than ever, the migrant crisis has shown the true strengths and weaknesses of Schengen project. The project 'Europe without the borders' has failed when the least needed - in the time of crisis. European (dis)unity has once again shown its true face.

Migration crisis ; Europe ; Border Fences

nije evidentirano