Keywords: borderscapes, Ukrainian–Slovak border, war, securitisation, affective bordering, borderland communities, mobility, social resilience, Ukraine
Abstract
The article analyses the transformations of the Ukrainian–Slovak borderland under the conditions of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Drawing on qualitative empirical research (24 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2023–2024) and ethnographic observations, it attempts to trace how the functional meaning of the border and its everyday perception by the residents of borderland communities are changing. The study centres on the concept of ‘borderscapes’, which makes it possible to interpret the border as a dynamic socio-spatial construct formed at the intersection of embodied experience, material infrastructure, institutions, practices and narratives. In wartime, the border becomes not only an instrument of security but also a resource of everyday resilience that reorganises routine interactions, forms of solidarity and moral boundaries in Ukrainian–Slovak borderland communities. The research shows how the narrativisation of the traumatic experience of war transforms the border from a space of cross-border economic interaction into a multi-layered security infrastructure, a resource of protection and a channel of selective mobility. The war activates processes of ‘affective bordering’ within which emotional reactions and feelings of threat and solidarity shape new representations of ‘us’ and ‘them’ – both in inter-national and intra-Ukrainian dimensions. The analysis identifies gender-asymmetrical mobility regimes, the delegitimisation of the informal borderland economy, and the growing role of borderland communities as agents of social resilience, solidarity and cross-border cooperation.
This article examines Kazakhstan’s external labour migration through the lens of transnational mobility and socio-legal governance. While Kazakhstan is often analysed as a destination for migrant labour within Central Asia, it is increasingly connected to international labour markets as a country of origin for outward labour migration. Drawing on qualitative interviews with Kazakh migrants working in Russia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium and the United States, the study explores how migrants navigate diverse regulatory environments that structure contemporary transnational labour mobility. Adopting a socio-legal perspective, the article focuses on how formal migration regimes are interpreted and enacted through migrants’ everyday practices. The findings demonstrate that, while wage differentials and labour-market inequalities remain key motivations for migration, migrants’ experiences are also shaped by complex visa regimes, temporary work programmes and differentiated migration policies across destination countries. Migrants rely heavily on transnational social networks, diaspora communities and digital communication platforms to interpret bureaucratic procedures, access employment opportunities and manage legal uncertainty. By foregrounding migrants’ narratives, the study shows how migration governance operates in practice through the interaction of formal regulations and socially embedded informal infrastructures, contributing to broader debates on migration regimes and transnational mobility.
In recent years, the social integration of migrants in Europe has faced challenges due to the rise of populism. Migrants are often seen as living in ‘parallel societies’ supposedly due to their ‘failed’ integration. Turkish communities in Europe are torn between cultural assimilation in their host countries and the Turkish nationalism promoted by Turkey. This dilemma is heightened by Turkey’s diaspora policies, which aim to use Turkish communities abroad as political tools, reinforcing a sense of Turkish identity through an idealised portrayal of the Ottoman past. Our study investigates the impact of these policies on the identity expressions of Turkish migrants, particularly within ethnoreligious communities. Through interviews and ethnographic observations in a mid-sized city in Germany, we found that Turkish migrants express diverse identities shaped by their socio-political connections in Germany. While some groups align more with an inclusive Muslim identity, other communities – organised around state-led organisations, which are more exposed to Turkey’s diaspora policies – tend to merge Islam and Turkishness, often emphasising a national pride tied closely to Turkey and its political ambitions. Despite these variations, all participants maintained strong symbolic or real connections to Turkey. This research provides new insights into how Turkey’s diaspora policies affect identity expressions among Turkish postmigrants.
Race-Making in the East of Europe: Understanding Imperial and Colonial Histories and their Afterlives in the Dynamics of Race-Making and Migration in the Region
