Leandro Navarro-Cabanas

Border violence against people on the move: where EU authority, autonomous border crossings and solidarity networks meet

Name: Leandro Navarro-Cabanas
Primary Supervisor: Dr. Arshad Isakjee
Year: 1
Discipline: Human Geography
Presentation type: 3-Minute presentation
Project Title: Border violence against people on the move: where EU authority, autonomous border crossings and solidarity networks meet

Abstract:

The research project is a humble attempt to advance the knowledge on border violence against people-on-the-move at the external land borders of the EU. Interviews and participant observation will be conducted in border regions of Bulgaria and in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The aims of my research are:

1) To document the material conditions of people with low mobility capital crossing external borders of the EU through informal routes. How does border enforcement impact their journeys?

2) To document practices of solidarity-making emanating from migrant self-organizing, local communities and international volunteers. How do solidarities with people on the move impact people’s journeys and lives at the border?

3) To analyse through the lenses of post-colonial literature, autonomy of migration and critical border studies how violences and solidarities operate at the edges of the EU. What can we learn from the EU political project by looking at how the border is enforced?