Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.15176/vol62no210
Between the Chance at a Better Life and Abandonment: Local Responses to EU Border Regimes in North Macedonia
Karolina Bielenin-Lenczowska
orcid.org/0000-0002-5472-6240
; Institute of Slavic Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw
Abstract
North Macedonia occupies a central position along the so-called Balkan route, which stretches from the Southeast Asia and Africa to Northern and Western Europe. The country has a long history of significant seasonal cross-border migration, connecting the region with the rest of Europe. It has primarily been a country of emigration, with a long tradition of mobility within the Ottoman Empire and Yugoslavia, and subsequently to Western Europe and other overseas destinations. In 2015 and 2016, North Macedonia became a transit country for around one million people and its transit role continues for a smaller number of people today. Drawing on ethnographic research, this paper examines local responses to mobility regimes and injustices using the example of two border villages: Lojane/Llojan and Tabanovce. It explores the changes to the natural and social landscape that create new connections and dependencies between migrants, non-governmental organizations, local residents, and the Macedonian state. I identify three factors that shape the narratives and practices of both the local population and the authorities: a long history of migration to and from Macedonia, a sense of abandonment by the state and international institutions, and the temporary nature of refugee centers.
Keywords
North Macedonia, border regimes, local responses, ethnography
Hrčak ID:
341679
URI
Publication date:
19.12.2025.
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