Freedom of movement

Freedom of movement, understood as a fundamental right with the potential of advancing equality and recognising our common humanity, is a key claim of the Migreurop network. While carrying a strong political message, freedom of movement has never been actually implemented: it remains a utopia with a mobilising potential, to be opposed to the dystopia of an immobile and segregated world.

As evoked in the title of this map, "free movements" however exist. They cut across spaces and people. Most importantly, some passports allow crossing numerous borders while others only open a few doors, unless they are stamped with visas that are particularly difficult to obtain.

Existing spaces of "free movement" were above all designed in order to facilitate free trade or the mobility of the "labour force". They sometimes come hand in hand with political projects, such as the European Union, supposedly a "space of peace and prosperity", yet they still hinder the mobility of the poorest - European citizenship is for example a limited resource for Roma people who wish to settle in Western Europe. In West Africa as well, freedom of movement struggles to prevail in front of the logic of border control upheld by some States and international donors.


Author of the map: Thomas Honoré


Map from: Migreurop (2017), Atlas des Migrants en Europe. Approches critiques des politiques migratoires, Paris, Armand Colin.

The book will be published in English before the end of 2018.