Border control and crisis management: police perceptions on the Europe-Africa border

• In Event: The Moral Worlds of Immigration Bureaucrats II

Abstract

This article presents part of the findings of a research project on the dynamics of border controls during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of border control officers. The project focuses on three distinct border spaces: the maritime border between the United Kingdom and France, the land border between Chile and Bolivia, and the land border between Spain and Morocco, aiming to understand the complex connections that link multiple unrelated locations and the global-local dynamics underpinning contemporary governance processes. In this article, however, we focus on the Spain-Morocco border, specifically between Ceuta and Tetouan, to explore in greater depth the perspective of police officers managing moments of crisis in this border space. The specialised literature describes police organisations as entities with a dual mandate: maintaining order while respecting individual rights. At borders, this dual mandate takes on humanitarian dimensions: enforcing border entry controls while also providing assistance in extreme situations where individuals attempting to cross borders irregularly require rescue. Interviews were conducted with national police officers at the Spain-Morocco border regarding their perceptions of police work, post-pandemic changes, and crisis management at the border. The findings suggest that officers prioritise control while acknowledging the need to provide care and assistance in critical situations. However, in their discourse, they deny the existence of a moral dilemma in their dual mandate.

Authors

• Jacqueline Carvalho da Silva, University of Málaga

• Elena Casado Patricio, Universidad de Maálaga

• Angie Steffania Rojas Varón, University of Malaga