Migration

The six contributions to this forum on feminist border theory offer different perspectives on the relations between gender, borders, power, identity, difference and solidarity. The authors use feminist theory to illustrate and analyze gendered border politics, violent border struggles, and practices of bordering at and beyond national borders. They illustrate their arguments using examples from the US-Mexican border and Italian borders, referring to domestic workers’ movements, racist politics of division and family separations. Furthermore, they show as well how bordered identities, Neplanta activism and coalitions across differences in border(land) spaces can lead to new forms of solidarity, identity and resistance.

In recent decades, Border Studies have gained importance and have seen a noticeable increase in development.  This manifests itself in an increased institutionalisation, a differentiation of the areas of research interest and a conceptual reorientation that is interested in examining processes.  So far, however, little attention has been paid to questions about (inter-)disciplinary self-perception and the methodological foundations of Border Studies and the associated consequences for research activities.  This thematic issue addresses these desiderata and brings together articles that deal with their (inter-)disciplinary foundations as well as method(olog)ical and practical research questions.  The authors also provide sound insights into a disparate field of work, disclose practical research strategies, and present methodologically sophisticated systematizations.

Mezzadra redraws research paths in Border Studies since the 1990s with special focus on Europe. He points to practices of border-crossing, mobility, proliferation, change and sealing of borders and reflects on concepts like differential inclusion. With reference to examples from Italy and the life-threatening struggles of migrants who cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe, he points to the current politics of violence at external borders. Furthermore, he shows how the current attempts to seal (western) borders resonate with political discourses about nationalism and the spread of authoritarian neoliberalism. At the end, Mezzadra mentions the logistical turn and proposes an approach that combines logistical studies with research on globalized capitalism and critical border studies.

The article illustrates the very different developments of the subregions making up the Greater Region, but also the similarities (e.g. guest worker migration in the 1960s and 70s in the Greater Region, ethnic Germans who migrated to Germany in recent decades or American forces in Rhineland-Palatinate. The article looks in depth at each subregion, sets out the specificities of the regions and analyses the reasons behind them.  The development of the subregions is also examined in the context of their historical and economic development and the removal of the borders under the Schengen Agreement and the emergence of simplified cross-border migration (e.g. also atypical cross-border commuters) within the Greater Region. The different approaches to integration are also described.

At a time when Europe is facing a migration crisis, the Schengen Border Art site provides an insight into the vision and work of many artists around the issue of European borders, the way they are experienced by migrants and newcomers and the violence, injustice or vulnerability of their situation. These different works help to raise awareness among European citizens of the reality and scale of the problem.

The Center for Inter American and Border Studies (CIBS) has established itself as a benchmark in the field of border studies by capitalising on the expertise on its own border territory. As well as often being high-profile, this territory presents some important challenges in terms of governance, demography and migration, as well as access to education and healthcare, employment and economic development. To meet these challenges the centre has developed an interdisciplinary approach specific to the territory studied, and a high level of expertise.

The working paper pertains to the thematic field “demography and migration” and highlights the challenges for territorial development in the Greater Region. Particular emphasis is placed on cross-border residential mobility at borders with the Grand Duchy, on population ageing and on the guarantee of general interest services in rural regions.