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The article processing charge was funded by the Open Access Publication Fund of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin., This paper analyzes the role of border fortifications for migration control and access to asylum based on two case studies: the Hungarian–Serbian and U.S. American–Mexican borders. The research is based on qualitative interviews on both sides of the borders. It shows that despite other options for border control, fortifications still play an important role, especially for asylum seekers. Fences fulfill a material, a symbolic and a filtering function here. The three functions contribute in different ways to preventing asylum seekers from crossing the border, thus depriving refugees of the opportunity to apply for asylum. The paper shoes that fences fulfill functions that other forms of border control (such as shifting or smart borders) cannot accomplish in the same way and it thereby contributes to understanding the ‘puzzle’ of contemporary border fencing., Peer Reviewed

Die Dissertation untersucht die Kontrolle von Mobilität an fortifizierten Grenzen. Auch in Zeiten der Globalisierung steigt die Zahl von Grenzzäunen weltweit rapide an. Während Grenzbefestigungen in der Vergangenheit oft mit militärischen Konflikten in Verbindung standen, dienen sie heute in erster Linie der Kontrolle von Mobilität. Vor dem Hintergrund dieser Entwicklungen analysiert die Arbeit vier Fallstudien: die ungarisch-serbische, die US-amerikanisch-mexikanische, die pakistanisch-indische und die algerisch-marokkanische Grenze. Ausgehend von der Frage, wie an befestigten Grenzen Mobilität kontrolliert wird, werden die Funktionsweisen von Grenzen herausgearbeitet. Die Arbeit besteht aus drei Artikeln. Der erste untersucht anhand der ungarisch-serbischen Grenze die Wirkung der Fortifizierung auf Migrationskontrolle und Innenpolitik und betont darüber hinaus die Bedeutung der internationalen Verflechtungen dieser Grenze. Der zweite Beitrag vergleicht zwei Zäune, den US-amerikanischen und den ungarischen. Er untersucht Migrationskontrolle mit einem Fokus auf Asyl und zeigt, dass die Grenzzäune hier eine materielle, eine symbolische und eine Filterfunktion erfüllen. Sie dienen dazu, MigrantInnen am Überschreiten der Grenze zu hindern und damit den Zugang zu Asyl zu beschränken. Der dritte Artikel vergleicht alle vier Fälle. Der Artikel kommt zu dem Schluss, dass befestigte Grenzen Ungleichheiten sowohl auf globaler als auch auf lokaler Ebene verstärken und dabei sowohl MigrantInnen als auch die Grenzbevölkerung marginalisieren. Zusammenfassend untersucht die Dissertation Grenz- und Migrationskontrolle und analysiert dabei die Gründe für die Grenzbefestigungen ebenso wie deren Kontext und Auswirkungen. Befestigte Grenzen verstärken durch Kontrolle und Filtern von Mobilität verschiedene Formen von Ungleichheit und Marginalisierung. Da Grenzen weltweit immer stärker fortifiziert werden, sind diese Themen von größter Aktualität., This dissertation investigates mobility control at fortified borders. Border fortifications are on the rise today and will most probably shape the future of nation states and global mobility. Whereas in the past border fences were often associated with military conflict, the new walls are mostly designed to control and filter mobility. In light of these developments, the thesis analyzes four case studies, namely the Hungarian-Serbian, the U.S. American-Mexican, the Pakistani-Indian and the Algerian-Moroccan borders. Starting with the question of how fortified borders control mobility, it provides an extensive analysis of the control function of borders. The thesis is comprised of three papers. The first examines the Hungarian-Serbian border, highlighting the topics of migration control and domestic politics as well as the international entanglements of this border. The second paper compares two fences, namely the U.S. American and the Hungarian. It examines migration control with a focus on the issue of asylum and shows that fortifications fulfil a material, a symbolical and a filtering function in order to prevent refugees from crossing the border, thereby restricting access to asylum. The third article compares all four cases. It concludes that fortified borders increase inequalities on both the global and the local level, triggering severe social and human effects on both migrants and border populations. In sum, the dissertation explores the topics of border control, selectivity, power relations and inequality by analyzing four fortified borders. It sheds light on different aspects of border control, including the reasons for fortifications as well as their context and impact. It argues that by controlling and filtering mobility, fortified borders sustain and reinforce different forms of inequality and marginalization. As the world’s borders are becoming more and more fortified, these topics are highly relevant and require further research.

In 2015, Hungary commenced the building of a fence at its border with Serbia. The current article investigates the Hungarian-Serbian border fence in terms of its meaning in the two countries. Building on recent re-bordering research, it analyzes the context within which the fencing took place, stressing both the domestic and the international dimension. Based on qualitative interviews and a document analysis for Hungary and Serbia, it argues that the fence did not create a conflict between the two neighbors – instead, the international entanglement of the border led to a complex bordering process that extended bilateral relations. In Hungary, the border fortification was used for internal political motives and at the same time aimed to exclude non-European migrants. Due to political circumstances and the filter function of the fence, the Serbian government likewise managed to exploit the border fortification to its advantage. The article introduces the concept of “fencing in and fencing out” in order to analyze the control function that the fence performs on both sides of the border., Peer Reviewed