Zone

Abstract

The commonsense denotation of a zone points to an area separated from spatial continuity, possessing distinct characteristics or purposes, in relation to which, specific practices and relationships are established. Zones are often conceived as clearly delimited areas. Here, we will offer an explanation that zones are not clearly separated but rather characterized by interactions, overlappings, and discontinuities. Such an explanation aligns with the understanding that borders themselves are not static lines dividing one area from another but represent an active sociopolitical relationship. Border spaces are zones of specific social interactions to which certain meanings are attributed and within which certain meanings are inscribed; they are characterized by dynamics of belonging and non- belonging . In this text, we refer to various zones: the area or zone of freedom, security and justice, the Schengen zone (Schengen Area), buffer zones/zones of containment, and transit zones. We will consider the relationships between these zones in the context of the European border and migration regime.Volume 54: Forced Migration: Keywords of the Balkan Route: The European Irregularized Migration Regime at the Periphery, edited by Marijana Hameršak, Iva Pleše, and Tea Škokic. https://doi.org/10.3167/ 978183695245