The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Malin Åkerström

Malin Åkerström

Professor emerita

Malin Åkerström

Protecting European Borders: Changing Border Police Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Area

Author

  • Sophia Yakhlef
  • Goran Basic
  • Malin Åkerström

Summary, in English

The recent influx of migrants and asylum seekers in Europe has drawn our attention towards the future of Schengen and European border politics. In 2014-2015 a European collaborative project called Turnstone (partly funded by the European commission) was implemented to increase control of European borders in the Baltic Sea area and to diminish trans-boundary criminality. The purpose of the project is also to increase cooperation between border, police and coast guard officers in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden. The officers argue that the abolition of internal borders and the implementation of the Schengen regime in the EU has led to increased efforts to control and monitor borderlands and border crossings. The border officers must rely on cooperation to perform their duties of border guarding and hence must change their methods of working. This is a qualitative study based on empirically gathered material such as field interviews and fieldwork observations at the different border agencies. The purpose of this study is to analyze how the staff of the different organizations defines successful collaboration and what collaboration obstacles they have identified during the implementation of the cooperation project. The findings suggest that the border officers re-negotiate spatial and cultural identities to make cooperation possible. The idea of common northern European historical identity is described as important for successful cooperation. At the same time, language and communication difficulties, differences in work practices and national legislation, differences in status and different areas of interest are seen as collaboration obstacles. However, the border officers are united in their views and efforts to protect EU territory and Schengen space from external threat and criminal activity.

Department/s

  • Sociology

Publishing year

2015

Language

English

Pages

5-24

Publication/Series

Social Studies

Volume

9

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Social Studies

Topic

  • Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)

Keywords

  • Schengen
  • Baltic Sea area
  • protecting borders
  • border police
  • Europe

Status

Published

Research group

  • Kriminal- och socialvetenskapligt nätverk

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2309-3471