Abstract

From the streets of Calais to the borders of Melilla, Evros and the United States, the slogan 'No borders!' is a thread connecting a multitude of different struggles for the freedom to move and to stay. But what does it mean to make this slogan a reality?

Drawing on the author's extensive research in Greece and Calais, as well as a decade campaigning for migrant rights, Natasha King explores the different forms of activism that have emerged in the struggle against border controls, and the dilemmas these activists face in translating their principles into practice.

Wide-ranging and interdisciplinary, No Borders constitutes vital reading for anyone interested in how we make radical alternatives to the state a genuine possibility for our times, and raises crucial questions on the nature of resistance.

‘A gift to all of us who yearn for relevant theory to help us take more effective action, this is an inspiring call to join communities around the world and work for the full realization of human rights rooted in the values of solidarity and the inherent worth and dignity of all.’
Chris Crass, author of Towards Collective Liberation

‘The first extended political analysis of Europe’s controversial No Borders movement, from an activist and writer with first-hand experience of the struggle for free movement.’
Matt Carr, author of Fortress Europe

‘King provides a map to a different future where people are free to move and borders are relegated to the dustbin of history. An activists' guide to what it means to refuse borders in practice.’
Reece Jones, author of Violent Borders: Refugees and the Right to Move

‘A timely and powerful read for those who support the politics of a freedom of movement not just as a utopian ideal, but who aspire to realize the possibilities of radical alternatives.’
Kim Rygiel, author of Globalizing Citizenship

‘King provides engaging and insightful accounts of a politics that not only radically questions the legitimacy of borders but disrupts their very material presence. She shows us that No Borders is not a political programme but a world making practice. Another world, already here.’
Dimitris Papadopoulos, author of Escape Routes: Control and Subversion in the 21st Century

‘Thoughtful, provocative and engaged, King’s powerful analysis of No Borders communities in Calais and Athens is a must-read for critical scholars and activists alike.’
Vicki Squire, University of Warwick

‘Borders have failed to contain a world in motion or offer a just settlement for millions of people. What is politics in the wake of this double failure? With its focus on new forms of social movement and political action, No Borders will prove vital reading for anyone seeking answers.’
William Walters, Carleton University

'Cogent and thought-provoking … King writes of elusive ambiguities and inherent tensions within a utopian no borders politics, offering scholarly direction as to how such an imagined world can exist.'
Antipode

'No Borders cleverly weaves together interviews, personal testimony, and radical theory to offer a bold narrative of freedom of movement struggles in Europe … an accessible resource for anyone engaged in the battle against an increasingly violent global border regime.'
Anarchist Studies

'The book’s contribution ... is to inspire a range of critical discourses on the nature of rights and activism.'
South African Journal of International Affairs

Natasha has been involved in a lot of different expressions of the struggle for the freedom of movement, in the UK, Calais and elsewhere. Natasha would like to call herself an author but isn’t sure if you can do that after finishing your first book. She hopes this will be the first of many. Natasha has a PhD in politics from the University of Nottingham, Centre for Social and Global Justice. She is from the south of England and is based in Nottingham. Right now she is travelling around Europe exploring different kinds of autonomous communities.