Infrastructures of Transit Migration: Understanding El Hierro as a Key Transit Space within Broader European Migration Systems
Author
Kruse, Esther Josephine
Term
4. semester
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-10-15
Pages
52
Abstract
This thesis examines how the infrastructures that support transit migration influence where and how people move through places they do not intend to settle. Using the island of El Hierro as a case study, it explains how El Hierro has become an important stop within wider European migration systems. Drawing on fieldwork carried out on the island in March 2025, the study extends the established idea of “migration infrastructure” (Xiang & Lindquist, 2010) and proposes “transit migration infrastructure” as a framework that better captures the specific conditions of movement in transit, where people pass through rather than stay. The framework considers four connected dimensions—regulatory (laws, policing, procedures), humanitarian (rescue and care), social (local networks and relationships), and commercial (transport and services)—and how they work together across multiple levels: local, regional, national, and EU. The findings show that interdependencies across these levels and overlapping responsibilities among many actors give El Hierro a dual role: both a humanitarian arrival point and part of the EU’s externalized border regime. Residents of El Hierro carry immediate humanitarian responsibilities but have limited influence over decisions made elsewhere. This creates a mix of obligation and political marginalization. The analysis demonstrates that migration policies shape everyday life far beyond physical borders. Despite frustration and constraints, the local community continues to welcome arriving migrants with dignity and solidarity. By mapping how rules, institutions, and civil society intersect, the thesis contributes to current debates and offers a concept for understanding transit spaces as dynamic places shaped by infrastructure.
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan de infrastrukturer, der understøtter transitmigration, påvirker hvor og hvordan mennesker bevæger sig gennem steder, hvor de ikke har til hensigt at slå sig ned. Med øen El Hierro som case forklarer det, hvordan El Hierro er blevet et vigtigt stop i de bredere europæiske migrationssystemer. Med udgangspunkt i feltarbejde på øen i marts 2025 udvider studiet den etablerede idé om “migrationsinfrastruktur” (Xiang & Lindquist, 2010) og foreslår “transitmigrationsinfrastruktur” som en ramme, der bedre indfanger de særlige betingelser ved bevægelse i transit, hvor mennesker passerer igennem frem for at blive. Rammen ser på fire forbundne dimensioner—regulatoriske (love, kontrol, procedurer), humanitære (redning og omsorg), sociale (lokale netværk og relationer) og kommercielle (transport og tjenester)—og hvordan de virker sammen på flere niveauer: lokalt, regionalt, nationalt og EU. Resultaterne viser, at indbyrdes afhængigheder på tværs af disse niveauer og overlappende ansvar mellem mange aktører giver El Hierro en dobbelt rolle: både som humanitært ankomstpunkt og som del af EU’s eksternaliserede grænse-regime. Beboerne på El Hierro bærer de umiddelbare humanitære opgaver, men har begrænset indflydelse på beslutninger, der træffes andre steder. Det skaber en blanding af forpligtelse og politisk marginalisering. Analysen viser, at migrationspolitik former hverdagslivet langt ud over fysiske grænser. Trods frustration og begrænsninger møder lokalsamfundet fortsat ankommende migranter med værdighed og solidaritet. Ved at kortlægge, hvordan regler, institutioner og civilsamfund krydser hinanden, bidrager specialet til den aktuelle debat og tilbyder et begreb til at forstå transitrum som dynamiske steder formet af infrastruktur.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Keywords