Border fences at EU external borders six times as long as in 2014

Europe is closing itself off. Ever longer and higher walls and fences are forcing people onto ever more dangerous escape routes. Instead of safe escape routes, more money is being spent on new barbed wire, more border police or watchtowers. Violence and illegal pushbacks escalate. All this makes it clear who is to be protected in Europe: Borders, not people!

Physical barriers increased massively from 315 km to 2,048 km at the 19 EU external borders between 2014 and 2022. The first EU border fences in Europe were erected by Spain in the early 1990s to “protect” the external border with Morocco. The number of fences erected increased sharply, especially after 2015. The course of the EU member states is clear: seal off, fence in, keep out.

This course was recently reinforced by an EU summit decision to provide EU funding for infrastructure at borders. It is therefore to be feared that the kilometer-long fenced-off stretch at the EU’s external borders will continue to grow.

For safe escape routes and against Fortress Europe!