Exploring unwanted mobility at the Danish-German border region - the case of the Danish wild boar fence
Author
Rødvig, Mads Andreas Ibberskov
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-02-01
Pages
69
Abstract
In early 2019, the Danish Government, the Danish People’s Party, and the Social Democrats decided to build a wild boar fence along the Danish–German border. The aim was to stop wild boars that could carry African Swine Fever (ASF), a contagious pig disease, into Denmark, with estimated annual losses of up to 11 billion DKK and 33,000 jobs at risk in the pig industry. The decision sparked debate for and against the fence on both sides of the border. This thesis asks on what grounds the fence was erected and how it reflects broader discussions about borders and illegitimate flows. The study uses a case study approach and document analysis. Analytically, it draws on Nasser Abourahme’s object-oriented and historical framework and the Copenhagen School’s securitization theory (how issues are framed as security threats). It also engages with literature on borders, territoriality, and mobility by Lisa Malkki, Wendy Brown, and others. The thesis concludes that a long history of physical barriers and border control, together with concerns about an invisible and unprotected border between Denmark and Germany, shaped the decision to build the fence. The fence was legitimized on two main grounds: protecting the pig industry and Denmark from potentially ASF-infected wild boars, and protecting society from the threat of illegal migrants and refugees. The thesis further shows that the fence shares four features with other recent barriers worldwide: it serves multiple purposes; its effectiveness regarding its primary goal is contested and lacks evidence; it targets transnational flows; and it carries symbolic functions aimed at keeping the unwanted out and strengthening national identity.
I begyndelsen af 2019 besluttede den danske regering, Dansk Folkeparti og Socialdemokratiet at opføre et vildsvinehegn langs den dansk-tyske grænse. Formålet var at bremse vildsvin, der kunne bringe African Swine Fever (ASF), en smitsom svinesygdom, ind i Danmark og dermed risikere årlige tab på op til 11 mia. kr. og 33.000 jobs i svineindustrien. Beslutningen udløste debat for og imod hegnet på begge sider af grænsen. Specialet undersøger, på hvilket grundlag hegnet blev opført, og hvordan det afspejler bredere diskussioner om grænser og illegitime flow. Undersøgelsen bygger på en casestudie-tilgang og dokumentanalyse. Analytisk anvendes Nasser Abourahmes objekt-orienterede og historiske ramme samt Københavnerskolens securitization-teori (hvordan emner fremstilles som sikkerhedstrusler). Derudover inddrages litteratur om grænser, territorialitet og mobilitet af bl.a. Lisa Malkki og Wendy Brown. Konklusionen er, at en lang historie med fysiske barrierer og grænsekontrol samt bekymringer over en usynlig og ubeskyttet grænse mellem Danmark og Tyskland bidrog til beslutningen om at opføre hegnet. Hegnet blev legitimeret med to hovedbegrundelser: at beskytte svineindustrien og Danmark mod potentielt ASF-inficerede vildsvin, og at beskytte samfundet mod truslen fra illegale migranter og flygtninge. Specialet peger også på, at hegnet deler fire karakteristika med nyere barrierer globalt: det har flere formål; dets effektivitet i forhold til hovedformålet er omstridt og mangler dokumentation; det retter sig mod grænseoverskridende flow; og det har stærke symbolske funktioner, der handler om at holde det uønskede ude og styrke national identitet.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Keywords