Counter-mapping the borders of Europe: Towards a non-cartographic counter-mapping approach

This intervention analyses what a counter-mapping gaze on borders could mean in response to the visibility of migration produced by states and the EU. Looking at the ongoing “refugee crisis” in Europe and the Mediterranean, this chapter considers the spaces of control and spaces of mobility generated by migration movements and border implementation practices that are not visible on the map. Particular attention is paid to the channels of deportation, internal transfer, and inverse routes that are connected to the hotspot-system. The second part focusses on the EU politics of externalisation by challenging the traditional geopolitical map of Europe and investigating the spaces of control that are not visible on the map, and which are the result of the technical cooperation between the EU and third countries.