P e ace
Au ho s: An onie Schmiz & So ia Lehmann
A chap e om: Schmiz, A., & Lehmann, S. (Eds.) (2025). Geog aphies o he Eu opean
Bo de Regime. How bo de s shape he e e yday li es o e ugees and asylum-seeke s.
Be lin Geog aphical Pape s, 56. h ps://doi.o g/10.17169/ e ubium-48773
Ins i u e o Geog aphical Sciences
F eie Uni e si ä Be lin
2025
Con ac
F eie Uni e si ä Be lin
Depa men o Ea h Sciences
Wo king G oup 'Socie y, Space and Gende '
Mal ese s . 74-100
D-12249 Be lin
h ps://www.geo. u-be lin.de/geog/ ach ich ungen/an h ogeog/index.h ml
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DOI: hUps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17466119
Ci a&on sugges&on: Schmiz, A., & Lehmann, S. (2025). P e ace. Be lin Geog aphical Pape s,
56, I–VI. hUps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17466119
Published in: Schmiz, A., & Lehmann, S. (Eds.) (2025). Geog aphies o he Eu opean Bo de
Regime. How bo de s shape he e e yday li es o e ugees and asylum-seeke s. Be lin
Geog aphical Pape s, 56. h ps://doi.o g/10.17169/ e ubium-48773
I
An onie Schmiz & So ia Lehmann
P e ace
F om a human geog aphy pe spec i e, bo de s and he accompanying phenomena o
mig a ion and ligh a e ega ded as essen ial componen s o social s uc u es and changes.
C i ical geog aphical mig a ion esea ch unde s ands bo de s as being shaped by complex
spa ial, empo al, social and cul u al p ocesses, and hus as being bo h cons uc ed and
dynamic. This pe spec i e emphasises he ole o bo de ing and bounda y-making as social
p ocesses a he han concep ualising he bo de as objec i e ac (Johnson e al. 2011;
Mezza da/Neilson 2012; Paasi 1998) o as a ‘line in he sand’ (Pa ke /Vaughan-Williams 2009).
Unde s anding he bo de no as a esea ch objec , bu a he as an epis emological
iewpoin , allows o mo e ully comp ehend he salien unc ion o bo de s in c ea ing and
shaping new wo lds a he han di iding exis ing ones (Mezzad a/Neilson 2012). To his e ec ,
esea ch wi hin he amewo k o geog aphical mig a ion and bo de s udies is shi ing i s
ocus om bo de s and bounda ies as objec s o s udy o powe ela ions and ac o s’ agency
in esis ance. Such esea ch app oaches b ing oge he ansna ional pe spec i es, engage
wi h he policies o he Eu opean bo de egime and highligh impo an socio-poli ical and
ideological unde pinnings o bo de egimes and bounda y p ac ices (Van Hou um/Van
Nae ssen 2002). The emphasis on p ocesses o bo de ing and he concep o he bo de as
me hod se es as an impo an heo e ical amewo k o he s uden esea ch p ojec s and
he esul ing con ibu ions p esen ed in his issue o he Be lin Geog aphical Pape s.
Shi ing he ocus o bo de s udies away om he bo de i sel o p ac ices and poli ics o
bo de ing makes he in e ela ed p ocesses and powe ela ions ha uphold and pe pe ua e
bo de egimes isible. The pape s p esen ed in his issue ocus speci ically on he Eu opean
bo de egime and d aw on key heo ies in geog aphical mig a ion and bo de s udies. This
includes he concep o he pos -mig an pa adigm, which emphasises he signi ican ole o
us/ hem o na i e/mig an cons uc ions in he c ea ion and ongoing legi imisa ion o he
Eu opean bo de egime (Fo ou an 2022). In his con ex , p ac ices o ca ego isa ion and
discu si e cons uc ion ha seek o di e en ia e, disc imina e and delinea e a dis inc i e
‘o he ’ a e iden i ied as being deeply in e wo en wi h implici ideologies abou dese ingness
and belonging (Bo elli 2022; C awley/Sklepa is 2018; Fo ou an 2022; Ra zmann/Sah aoui
2021) ha in e ac wi h acialisa ion and colonial con ex s (Gu ié ez Rod íguez 2018; Oli e i
2016; Quijano 2000). The s uden con ibu ions o his issue connec such concep ualisa ions
o dese ingness and belonging o he p ocesses and policies ha de e mine which indi iduals
o g oups a e welcomed and accep ed – o whom access o ca e and se ices is ex ended –
II
and o whom such inclusion is denied. The powe ul and de imen al po en ial o
disc imina o y discou se oo ed in ‘ca ego ical e ishism’ (Apos olo a 2015) and acialised
colonial hie a chies (Quijano 2000) is highligh ed, as such discou se in e ac s wi h and impac s
he li ed eali ies o indi iduals (Bo elli 2022; Gu ié ez Rod íguez 2018; Oli e i 2016;
Ra zmann/Sah aoui 2021; Sal iel 2021). This pe spec i e on he ole o discu si e and
ideological powe eme ges as an impo an con ibu ion o de eloping a mo e comple e and
meaning ul unde s anding o he Eu opean bo de egime and is applied h oughou he
s uden esea ch p ojec s ha comp ise his issue.
Aligning wi h his ocus on he ole o discu si e cons uc ions and de ini ions o belonging in
enac ing he Eu opean bo de egime, he concep o belonging is used o concep ualise
al e na i e o ms o ci izenship, pa icipa ion and inclusi e iden i ica ion ha seek o
o e come o upend he exclusi e bo de ing p ac ices desc ibed abo e. Geog aphical
pe spec i es in mig a ion and bo de esea ch o e an impo an con ibu ion by highligh ing
momen s and mo emen s o c ea i e and e olu iona y esis ance ha emphasise he agency
o indi iduals in na iga ing and coun e ac ing he Eu opean bo de egime while d awing on
ansna ional app oaches ha in e oga e he connec ions be ween spa iali y and iden i y.
This can be seen in li e a u e which ocuses on ac i is engagemen and p ac ices o sel -
o ganisa ion in he socio-poli ical ( e)nego ia ion o oles, iden i ies and his o ies h ough
collec i e (coun e )ac ion and commemo a ion (Oli e i 2016; Tu ekci 2017). Li e a u e in his
con ex ocused especially on he u ban scale o eg ounds he ans o ma i e powe o adical
solida i y and communi y (Sal iel 2021), o ins ance in i s place-speci ic mani es a ions as
u ban ci izenship (Va sanyi 2006) o solida i y/sanc ua y ci ies (Baude 2016; Baude 2021;
Da ling/Baude 2019; K eichau /Maye 2021). Applying a geog aphic lens in ocusing on he
spa ial dimensions o di e en ia ion o solida i y in his con ex unde lines momen s,
p ocesses and concep s ha seek o p o ide al e na i e amewo ks o belonging wi hin,
despi e, o e en ou side o , he Eu opean bo de egime. Highligh ing such place-based
dis up ion o , p o es agains , o al e na i es o he geog aphical and socio-poli ical wo kings
o he Eu opean bo de egime plays a signi ican ole in s uden s’ heo e ical and empi ical
con ibu ions o his issue.
Agains his heo e ical backg ound, s uden s o he mas e ’s p og amme(s) Geog aphies o
Global Inequali ies and Geog aphical De elopmen S udies (Geog aphische
En wicklungs o schung) ca ied ou empi ical esea ch p ojec s o e he pe iod o one yea
wi hin he amewo k o a esea ch semina on geog aphies o he Eu opean bo de egime.
This issue o he Be lin Geog aphical Pape s p esen s six s uden pape s eme ging om hese
esea ch p ojec s in 2024 (5) and 2022 (1). These con ibu ions acili a e a meaning ul
engagemen wi h key academic concep s and d aw on undamen al li e a u e om he
in e sec ion o human geog aphy and c i ical bo de s udies. In pa icula , he di e ences
be ween bo de s and p ocesses o bo de ing a e o mula ed. Rela ed concep s such as acism
and acialisa ion, pos -mig an and pos -colonial pe spec i es, social mo emen esea ch and
bo h he ex e nalisa ion and in e nalisa ion o bo de s a e de eloped and explo ed in g ea e
III
dep h h ough an examina ion o se e al case s udies. Fi e pape s highligh e e yday
nego ia ions o he bo de in Be lin and B andenbu g; one pape ocuses on he
ex e nalisa ion o he Eu opean bo de egime in Bei u , Lebanon.
Beginning wi h an empi ical explo a ion o bo de ing p ac ices a he u ban scale, Lo ena
Unge and Lo e an Dijk examine he implica ions o he legal s a us o ole a ed s ay
(Duldung) o labou ma ke in eg a ion in Be lin. The au ho s’ analysis highligh s ele an
poli ical, bu eauc a ic and legal obs acles and hei key impac s on expe iences o economic
and social exclusion. Th ough an in e sec ional lens, he mul iple ma ginalisa ion o women,
indi iduals wi h disabili ies and hei ca egi e s who hold he legal s a us o Duldung is
emphasised, indica ing he salien ole o unde lying socio-poli ical sys ems and no ms ha
uphold and pe pe ua e inequali ies in labou ma ke access and pa icipa ion. D awing on
in o ma ion ga he ed om in e iews as well as exis ing knowledge om geog aphical
mig a ion esea ch and labou s udies, he au ho s show he ole o bo h s a e- unded and
independen non-s a e o ganisa ions in nego ia ing access o sa e and su icien o ms o
labou o indi iduals wi h a Duldung.
Along his heme o di e en ial inclusion in e e yday mani es a ions o he Eu opean bo de
egime in Be lin, So ia Lehmann and Elisa Mannes add ess he opic o unequal access o
heal hca e o mig an s wi h p eca ious legal s a us, ocusing especially on s uc u es ha aim
o coun e ac hese ha m ul and exclusiona y bo de ing mechanisms. Based on in e iews
wi h local o ganisa ions ha wo k o es ablish mo e inclusi e and holis ic p ac ices in
heal hca e p o ision, he au ho s highligh key ac o s and challenges ha impac he quali y,
capaci y and sus ainabili y o hese heal hca e s uc u es, emphasising impo an inhe en
connec ions o unde lying socio-poli ical and ideological discou ses and no ms. In
con e sa ions wi h ac i is s and heal hca e p o ide s in his con ex , he au ho s iden i y
po en ial s a egies o imagining and enac ing mo e jus sys ems o heal hca e ha se e all
membe s o a socie y, ega dless o legal s a us o mig a ion expe iences.
İdil Gündüz and Ma ielene Wicke adop an analy ical ocus on momen s and s a egies o
esis ance agains exclusiona y p ac ices o he Eu opean bo de egime, explo ing how a
and cul u e can unc ion as meaning ul ools in his con ex . Using he NO BORDERS_NO
LAGERS es i al in Be lin as a case s udy, he au ho s emphasise he i al ole o a is ic and
cul u al exp ession in esis ance. The au ho s explo e how such spaces can challenge
dominan na a i es o he Eu opean bo de egime, ampli y ma ginalised oices, celeb a e
di e si y and p omo e communi y. G ounded in heo e ical amewo ks on de-bo de ing as
well as in e sec ional li e a u e on embodied geog aphies and a , he au ho s’ analysis
iden i ies he ans o ma i e po en ial o such p ac ices o coun e ac ing expe iences o
isola ion and ma ginalisa ion ha a e connec ed o mechanisms o he Eu opean bo de
egime. Fu he mo e, he au ho s a gue ha hese p ac ices can be used o p omo ing
al e na i e o ms o belonging oo ed in communi y which a i m he possibili y o mo e jus
u u es.
IV
Cen ing hei analysis on speci ic spaces and p ac ices o esis ance agains he Eu opean
bo de egime, Pe Jannes Spix and Ma hias Cano U banke examine he o ganisa ional and
poli ical landscape o ac i is g oups, NGOs and o he local s akeholde s in ol ed in he
g ass oo s ini ia i e agains he planned Be lin B andenbu g Ai po (BER) Depo a ion Cen e.
The au ho s iden i y he p o es camp which ook place on-si e in 2023 as a s a ing poin o
analysing he me hods and e icacy o he esis ance ini ia i e and i s suppo ing
o ganisa ions. Applying a heo e ical pe spec i e oo ed in social mo emen esea ch,
geog aphies o esis ance and aboli ionis heo y, he au ho s highligh se e al impo an
socio-poli ical ac o s ha impac he esis ance mo emen s’ success and long- e m
sus ainabili y, such as a discu si e shi away om a so-called ‘welcome cul u e’
(Willkommenskul u ) owa d an inc easingly populis and igh -wing he o ic o secu i isa ion.
The au ho s de elop hei empi ical a gumen s om a se ies o in e iews wi h ac o s in ol ed
in he esis ance mo emen , con ibu ing o an in-dep h unde s anding o he inne wo kings
o he ini ia i e.
Following his ocus on esis ance and socio-poli ical coun e ac ion, B enda Rod iguez Se ano
and Maddalena Ta a ini analyse he ole o sel -o ganised e ugee and mig an g oups in
Be lin, de eloping hei a gumen s h ough a case s udy o and wi h The Voice Fo um. The
au ho s employ heo e ical amewo ks on sel -o ganisa ion and solida i y p ac ices in hei
analysis o he ini ia i es’ ole, si ua ing his wo k wi hin b oade heo y on he coloniali y o
powe and he coloniali y o mig a ion in o de o con ex ualise his and simila o ms o
e ugee and mig an o ganisa ion. Sel -de e mina ion h ough independen inancing and
o e coming spa ial ba ie s h ough digi al o ms o esis ance eme ge as key aspec s ha
con ibu e o he e icacy and iden i y o The Voice Fo um. These aspec s a e discussed in
connec ion o an unde lying commi men o he ini ia i e o coun e ac he powe ul colonial
and acialising p ac ices o he Eu opean bo de egime, as he au ho s expand he scope o
hei analysis ac oss empo al his o ical and spa ial scales.
Shi ing he spa ial ocus away om Be lin-B andenbu g, Iman El Ghoubashy, Nadia Zoë
Plönges and A id Sp enge ocus on he ex e nalisa ion o he Eu opean bo de egime,
basing hei analysis on a case s udy o he Eu opean-Union- unded Qud a p og amme in
Lebanon. The au ho s assess key mechanisms and e ec s o his p og amme, as i ep esen s
a c i ical de elopmen coope a ion e o o he EU aimed a u he ing he in eg a ion o
Sy ian e ugees in o Lebanese socie y. The ins umen alisa ion o EU unding and economic
suppo in such e o s o con ol o con ain e ugee popula ions ou side o Eu opean bo de s,
unde he guise o humani a ian aid, is iden i ied as a cen al me hod o he ex e nalisa ion o
mig a ion managemen om he EU. The au ho s examine he e icacy and implica ions o
such p og ammes in p omo ing he unde lying poli ical mo i a ions o he Eu opean bo de
egime, d awing on a comp ehensi e analysis o legal and policy documen s as well as
in o ma ion ga he ed om a quali a i e s udy aking place in pa in Bei u , Lebanon.
Be lin, Oc obe 2025
V
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