Border Policing and Security Technologies: Mobility and Proliferation of Borders in the Western Balkans

This book explores the complex dynamics of borders and bordering practices in the Western Balkans before, during, and after the 2010s migrant crisis. It examines technological and human interventions that enable and hinder border crossers' mobility projects, including the types and locations of borders, their development, transformation, and impact on people on the move. It also maps border struggles, analyzes the creation of labor reserves, and examines the role of technology in regulating mobility and creating social change. The findings can be applied to other social contexts and settings, particularly for academics, postgraduate students, legal practitioners, NGO activists, and government officials.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 172 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book is a groundbreaking and original exploration of borders and bordering practices in the Western Balkans before, during, and after the migrant crisis of the 2010s. Drawing on extensive, mixed-method, exploratory research conducted in Serbia, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, and Kosovo, the book charts the technological and human interventions deployed in this region that both enable and hinder the mobility projects of border crossers.

Within the rich historical context of the Balkan Wars and subsequent displacement of many people from the region and beyond, this book delves into the types and locations of borders, as well as their development, transformation, and impact on those on the move. These border crossers can be categorized into three distinct groups: individuals from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia transiting the region; citizens of the Western Balkans seeking asylum and access to labor markets in the EU; and women border crossers.

Furthermore, the book maps border struggles that arise alongside these processes, analyzes the creation of labor reserves in the region, and examines the role that technology, particularly smartphones and social media, plays in regulating mobility and fostering social change. This volume also explores the role of the EU in these processes and their impact on the nation-states of the Western Balkans, their European future, and mobility within the region.

While the book focuses on a specific region in Southeast Europe, its findings have broad applicability to other social contexts and settings. It will be particularly valuable to academics and postgraduate students studying social sciences such as criminology, sociology, legal studies, law, international relations, political science, and gender studies. It will also be useful for legal practitioners, NGO activists, and policymakers.

Weight: 349g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367786618