Strengthening of a network in the management of migration flows at EU borders

Snapshots From the Borders is a 3-year project co-funded by the European Union (EuropeAid DEAR budget line), run by 35 partners, border Local Authorities and Civil Society Organisations. The project, coordinated by the Municipality of Lampedusa and Linosa, aims to improve critical understanding of European, national and local decision makers and of public opinion about global interdependencies determining migration flows towards European borders, in the perspective of reaching SDG targets, especially SDG 1, 5, 10, 11 and 16.

Specifically, the project intends to strengthen a new horizontal, active network among cities directly facing migration flows at EU borders, as a way to promote more effective policy coherence at all levels (European, national, local).

In the frame of the project, the No more bricks in the wall campaign has been developed both at local (town level), national (member state level) and EU level (Brussels and EU institutions), composed of materials, social media action, concerts and festivals, exhibitions. The campaign is coordinated by AMREF and aims to inform European citizens that migration is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon and a political issue which needs efforts and concrete actions taken by people and organizations/networks at all levels of society.

A better understanding by Europeans of migration as a development issue paired with engagement fosters global citizenship and builds strong bonds of solidarity. Borders’ direct perspectives and engagement are an added value for raising awareness, sharing knowledge, encouraging participation and showing citizens that they have an important role to play. By bringing voices and effective solutions from the borders where migration is lived directly, people will be more informed and aware of the determinants and actions and they will become protagonists in calling for a fair world. Messages reaching the EU public through media present migration as an emergency problem with negative impact oversimplifying causes and determinants. Once people are aware of the dimension, implication, causes and solutions, they will seek a change of attitude in terms of support for civil society.

At the end, the ultimate scope of the campaign is: to attract citizens in Border Territories and all around Europe both already keen to solidarity towards migrants.