At the Heart of Fortress Europe

The study provides a broad mapping of Austrian-based multilateral cooperation, actors, and or­ganisations that are heavily involved in EU border externalisation policies far beyond Austrian borders – and therefore in the violent and sometimes lethal approach to people on the move.

Since the ‘long summer of migration’ in 2015 and the sealing of the Balkan Route in 2016, people on the move are trying to make their way to the European Schengen area via Bosnia-Herzegovina. According to Frontex, the Western Balkans has become one of the main migrant routes to Europe. The actors examined here are therefore of particular importance.

Table of Contents:

  1. Introduction
  2. The Balkans as a buffer zone
    2.1. The role of Austria
    2.2. The specific position of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  3. Austrian actors
    3.1. Salzburg Forum
    3.2. Joint Coordination Platform
    3.3. Hilfswerk International – from humanitarian aid to migration management
  4. Tools for further investigations
    References
Full titleAt the Heart of Fortress Europe Austria’s role in border externalisation policies in the Balkans
AuthorNidžara Ahmetašević and Klaudia Wieser
PublisherTransform! europe
Year2022
Media typeBroshure / PDF
Linkhttps://www.transform-network.net/publications/issue/at-the-heart-of-fortress-europe/
Topics Migration Routes & Transport, Criminalization of Borderwork - Trafficking, NGO
Regions Europe

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