Eighteen Walls Remain: The Reality of Continental Europe Post-Berlin Wall

• Despite the fall of the Berlin Wall, at least 18 border walls currently exist within the European Union and Schengen area.
• Approximately 16 of these barriers were built specifically to intercept irregular migration and forced displacement.
• Since 1989, an average of two new border walls have been constructed within the EU each year.

Timeline of Barrier Construction

• 1974: The wall dividing Cyprus, which remains in place.
• 1993-1996: Construction of Spanish barriers in Ceuta and Melilla.
• 2005: Lithuania constructs a wall on its border with Belarus.
• 2012-2015: A sharp surge in construction, including barriers in Greece, Bulgaria, Austria, Hungary, Latvia, and Slovenia.
• 2016: Norway constructs a wall on its Russian border; the UK funds the wall in Calais, France.
• 2021-Present: New walls built by Poland and Finland on their borders with Russia and Belarus due to territorial tensions.

Context and Implications

• The walls represent a shift in EU policy toward fortifying the "Global North" against populations fleeing poverty, persecution, and conflict—frequently in nations where European countries bear responsibility due to armed intervention or arms exports.
• The prevalence of these barriers highlights how the EU has prioritized excluding migrants, forcing them onto more dangerous routes.
• Beyond their physical footprint—which disrupts ecological corridors and landscapes—these walls serve as a symbolic representation of a society choosing to ignore the humanitarian crises beyond its borders.