Learning Mobility Challenging Borders: Cross-border Experiences of eastern European Immigrants in Spain

This article examines the cross-border mobility practices of eastern European immigrants across and within European Union (EU) borders, taking into account the changes in the patterns of the EU border regime, which have affected mobility in the last 20years. Drawing on empirical research with references to in-depth qualitative interviews of eastern immigrants in Spain, this article highlights the ways in which the emerging models of cross-border mobility management are producing new geographies of the EU border. On the one hand, (re)bordering makes human mobility difficult, while, on the other hand, networked bordering facilitates mobility. The conclusions confirm that the flexibility of the European border allows the mobility of people, and also indicate that, while crossing borders, eastern Europeans learn about mobility and practice it as citizens of Europe.