Border Abolitionism - (Rethinking Borders) by Martina Tazzioli (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book mobilises an abolitionist approach to contemporary borders, combining critical migration scholarship and carceral abolitionism literature. It argues that a critique of borders involves rethinking the right to mobility as part of processes of commoning.

Book Synopsis

Building on an abolitionist perspective, this book offers an essential critique of migration and border policies, unsettling the distinction between migrants and citizens. This is the only book that brings together carceral abolitionist debates and critical migration literature. It explores the multiplication of modes of migration confinement and detention in Europe, examining how these are justified in the name of migrants' protection. It argues that the collective memory of past struggles has partly informed current solidarity movements in support of migrants. A grounded critique of migration policies involves challenging the idea that migrants' rights go to the detriment of citizens. An abolitionist approach to borders entails situating the right to mobility as part of struggle for the commons.

From the Back Cover

'Martina Tazzioli's book challenges us to connect struggles for the freedom of movement to commoning practices and abolitionist worlding projects. Border abolitionism calls on us to do more than document the needless drownings, wasted times and choked lives, or the injustices of contemporary migration control regimes. To practices border abolition, we must learn from migrants how to live and build institutions otherwise.'
Lauren Martin, Associate Professor of Political Geography, Durham University

'Border abolitionism is an intellectually ambitious, creative, and original book, linking critical border, migration, and refugee studies to the contemporary insights of carceral abolitionism. The book's refreshingly innovative intervention advances an idea of abolition that extends far beyond the border, in order to understand the struggles of migrants and citizens together. It will have a lasting impact on scholarship and activism.'
Nicholas De Genova, Professor of Comparative Cultural Studies, University of Houston

Building on abolitionist perspectives, this book offers an essential critique of migration and border policies, unsettling the distinction between migrants and citizens. Bringing together carceral abolitionist debates and critical migration literature, Border abolitionism explores the multiple forms of migration confinement and detention in Europe, examining how these are justified in the name of migrants' protection. It argues that the collective memory of past struggles has partly informed current solidarity movements in support of migrants. The book sets out a grounded critique of migration policies, challenging the idea that migrants' rights are inherently to the detriment of citizens. The abolitionist approach to borders proposed here means centring the right to mobility as an essential part of the struggle for the commons.

Review Quotes

CHOICE: Recommended

'Martina Tazzioli's book challenges us to connect struggles for the freedom of movement to commoning practices and abolitionist worlding projects, to decompartmentalise migration, border and refugee studies. To build these transversal alliances, Tazzioli grounds border abolitionism in migrants' escapes, autonomous mobilities and spaces, and "free spots," beginning not from state enclosure projects, but from actually existing abolitionist practices. Border abolitionism calls on us to do more than document the needless drownings, wasted times and choked lives or the injustices of contemporary migration control regimes. To practices border abolition, we must learn from migrants how to live and build institutions otherwise.'
Lauren Martin, Associate Professor of Political Geography, Durham University

Border abolitionism is an intellectually ambitious, creative, and original book, linking critical border, migration, and refugee studies to the contemporary insights of carceral abolitionism. Tazzioli starts not from normative abstractions but instead from the material and practical facts of migration and the confinement continuum that chokes migrants' and refugees' projects both to move across borders and then to stay and re-make their lives. This book's refreshingly innovative intervention thus advances an idea of abolition that extends far beyond the border, in order to understand the struggles of migrants and citizens together. It will have a lasting impact on scholarship and activism.
Nicholas De Genova, editor of The Borders of "Europe" Autonomy of Migration, Tactics of Bordering

'The book covers formidable ground, and while each chapter is individually enriching, the analytics of border abolitionism effortlessly weave together their different topics into a coherent, incisive account. Not only does the border abolitionist approach facilitate original scrutiny of the European border regime, but Tazzioli does not lose sight of the migrant lives caught up in this regime. This combinations helps us better appreciate the transformative potential of the abolitionist horizon.'
Adam Fastholm, International Affairs 100: 3, 2024

CHOICE: Recommended

'Martina Tazzioli's book challenges us to connect struggles for the freedom of movement to commoning practices and abolitionist worlding projects, to decompartmentalise migration, border and refugee studies. To build these transversal alliances, Tazzioli grounds border abolitionism in migrants' escapes, autonomous mobilities and spaces, and "free spots," beginning not from state enclosure projects, but from actually existing abolitionist practices. Border abolitionism calls on us to do more than document the needless drownings, wasted times and choked lives or the injustices of contemporary migration control regimes. To practices border abolition, we must learn from migrants how to live and build institutions otherwise.'
Lauren Martin, Associate Professor of Political Geography, Durham University

Border abolitionism is an intellectually ambitious, creative, and original book, linking critical border, migration, and refugee studies to the contemporary insights of carceral abolitionism. Tazzioli starts not from normative abstractions but instead from the material and practical facts of migration and the confinement continuum that chokes migrants' and refugees' projects both to move across borders and then to stay and re-make their lives. This book's refreshingly innovative intervention thus advances an idea of abolition that extends far beyond the border, in order to understand the struggles of migrants and citizens together. It will have a lasting impact on scholarship and activism.
Nicholas De Genova, editor of The Borders of "Europe" Autonomy of Migration, Tactics of Bordering

'The book covers formidable ground, and while each chapter is individually enriching, the analytics of border abolitionism effortlessly weave together their different topics into a coherent, incisive account. Not only does the border abolitionist approach facilitate original scrutiny of the European border regime, but Tazzioli does not lose sight of the migrant lives caught up in this regime. This combinations helps us better appreciate the transformative potential of the abolitionist horizon.'
Adam Fastholm, International Affairs 100: 3, 2024

About the Author

Martina Tazzioli is Reader in Politics and Technology at Goldsmiths, University of London