Political Geographies of Migration: The Borders, from Static Lines to Mobile Entities

Abstract

The article explores the border literature in political geography in order to understand the contemporary proliferation of bordering practices in the Western world. It takes the case of President Trump administration’s policies to show how borders can be concealed in social and political practices inside of sovereign territory. This expansion of geographical borders continually shapes the socio-spatial identities of migrants. The text also analyzes why the traditional bordering practice of building border walls is still an appealing resource aiming at keeping immigrants away from Western territories, even after the promise of a “borderless world” in the late 20th century. This article argues that the expansion of border walls is explained by the analysis of three factors: the transformations on the refugee protection framework after the 90s, the change in states’ perception of refugees as a threat to Western societies, and the fear of states to be perceived as actors non-capable to maintain their sovereignty. These contemporary practices are consistent with recent debates in border theory that see the border as a mobile entity instead of a static territorial line separating two units of land. This article aims at fostering the idea of border studies as a way to unveil new forms of power and control. It also pretends to foster an understanding of the interconnectedness of border practices around the world.