Fixed Lines, Permanent Transitions. International Borders, Cross-Border Communities and the Transforming Experience of Otherness

Beyond their most physical manifestations as fences, gates and border guards, international borders are social constructs experienced by individuals as they traverse them. Anchored on the ground as relatively fixed lines, international borders transform through time as the crossing is alternatively allowed or hindered depending on changing relations between countries. This is especially true given the social, cultural, and economic structures generated on either side of the border. In this article, we draw on three studies conducted since 2008: Melilla and Morocco, Lampedusa and Tunisia, Gibraltar and Spain. Looking at the recent history of local cross-border relations, this work analyzes how the tightening of previously porous borders altered existing sociocultural, economic and political relations on both sides of the frontier. As Lampedusa and Melilla became points on Europe’s external border, the almost osmotic cross-border relations previously experienced by locals diminished significantly: profound changes challenged their perception of identity and otherness. Similarly, throughout the 20th century, the Gibraltar/Spain border operated both as a bridge across related communities, and as an almost insurmountable barrier when it was closed (1969–1982). This work explores the many ways in which borders transform local linguistic, cultural and economic constellations of neighboring “Others.”