A new form of border: The case of asylum seekers in Strasbourg

Referent/in: Patricia Zander, Straßburg

Abstract

The border is a fluctuating concept. At the same time borders – whether old or new ones have – always been a powerful tool and a relevant topic for geographers, and they should be carefully studied to help us in our understanding of changes in space. In this presentation we will start with the geographical approaches in analysing borders. We will then take into consideration the relation between borders and urban space by looking at asylum seekers in Strasbourg. Indeed, the study of the management of asylum seekers’ timetable leads us to identify what could be considered as an “invisible daily border”. According to A. Giddens, this form of “space control” is made possible through time control.