Introduction

Frontiers and Mobilities: The Frontiers of the Roman Empire and Europe

“…Thinking about these monuments also highlights themes that need to be addressed if we are to imagine the possibility of better futures. It remains the task of those who study ancient frontiers to consider migration and bordering in deeper terms and explore how the increasing normalization of the argument for the stringent treatment of migrants has emerged (see Jansen et al, 2015).…”

“…comm.). Border studies are characterized, however, by works that address the theories and practices of contemporary bordering (see Rumford, 2006;Wilson & Donnan, 2012;Luath Bacas & Kavanagh, 2013;Richardson, 2013;Jansen et al, 2015). Much of the output has paid critical attention to the ethics of bordering in the contemporary world, with a particular focus on the border policies of the EU.…”

“…The scale of the problem at the EU's boundaries, and, increasingly, the crisis emerging at certain national boundaries within the EU, has, however, resulted in stringent critiques of EU policy and practice (e.g. Bialasiewicz, 2012;Carr, 2012;Jansen et al, 2015). Research has focused on the need to provide more detailed theoretical enquiries and ethical assessments of the 'amazing sophistication and complexity' of bordering practices that characterize the EU's borders (Bialasiewicz, 2012: 843-44).…”

“…Hingley, 2010;Tolia Kelly, 2010;Eckardt & Müldner, 2016: 215-16). The discipline of Roman Frontier Studies is also focusing increasing attention on the function of Roman frontier works and the transformative character of the frontier on the populations within and beyond the border zones (Hingley, in press; see also Wells, 2013;Jankovic et al, 2014;Roymans et al, 2016;González Sánchez & Guglielmi, in press), 2 1 'Migration' involves the movement of people across physical space (Jansen et al, 2015), while 'mobilities' is a far broader term that 'encompasses both the largescale movement of people, objects, capital, and information across the contemporary world, as well as the more local processes of daily transportation, movement through public space and the travel of material things within everyday life' (Hannam et al, 2006: 1). 2 I will not draw a clear distinction between frontiers and borders.…”

Real fake? Appropriating mobility via Schengen visa in the context of biometric border controls

“…Yet, to date we know very little about how migrants transform this regime of mobility control into a migration channel. This neglect is astonishing as there is strong evidence that the majority of illegalised migrants arrive perfectly legal with a valid Schengen visa in the European Union (EU) and only become 'illegal' once it has expired (Düvell 2011;Zampagni 2013;Jansen, Celikates, and De Bloois 2015). 1 From this perspective the consulates of Schengen member states constitute what the editors of this special issue call 'spaces of asymmetrical negotiation'…”