Yakhlef , Sophia; Basic, Goran and Åkerström, Malin (2015) ” Protecting European Borders: Changing Border Police Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Area”. Social Studies, 9(3): 5-24. The recent influx of migrants and asylum seekers in Europe... more
Yakhlef , Sophia; Basic, Goran and Åkerström, Malin (2015) ” Protecting European Borders: Changing Border Police Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Area”. Social Studies, 9(3): 5-24.
The recent influx of migrants and asylum seekers in Europe has drawn our attention towards the future of Schengen and European border politics. In 2014-2015 a European collaborative project called Turnstone (partly funded by the European commission) was implemented to increase control of European borders in the Baltic Sea area and to diminish trans-boundary criminality. The purpose of the project is also to increase cooperation between border, police and coast guard officers in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden. The officers argue that the abolition of internal borders and the implementation of the Schengen regime in the EU has led to increased efforts to control and monitor borderlands and border crossings. The border officers must rely on cooperation to perform their duties of border guarding and hence must change their methods of working. This is a qualitative study based on empirically gathered material such as field interviews and fieldwork observations at the different border agencies. The purpose of this study is to analyze how the staff of the different organizations defines successful collaboration and what collaboration obstacles they have identified during the implementation of the cooperation project. The findings suggest that the border officers re-negotiate spatial and cultural identities to make cooperation possible. The idea of common northern European historical identity is described as important for successful cooperation. At the same time, language and communication difficulties, differences in work practices and national legislation, differences in status and different areas of interest are seen as collaboration obstacles. However, the border officers are united in their views and efforts to protect EU territory and Schengen space from external threat and criminal activity.
The recent influx of migrants and asylum seekers in Europe has drawn our attention towards the future of Schengen and European border politics. In 2014-2015 a European collaborative project called Turnstone (partly funded by the European commission) was implemented to increase control of European borders in the Baltic Sea area and to diminish trans-boundary criminality. The purpose of the project is also to increase cooperation between border, police and coast guard officers in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden. The officers argue that the abolition of internal borders and the implementation of the Schengen regime in the EU has led to increased efforts to control and monitor borderlands and border crossings. The border officers must rely on cooperation to perform their duties of border guarding and hence must change their methods of working. This is a qualitative study based on empirically gathered material such as field interviews and fieldwork observations at the different border agencies. The purpose of this study is to analyze how the staff of the different organizations defines successful collaboration and what collaboration obstacles they have identified during the implementation of the cooperation project. The findings suggest that the border officers re-negotiate spatial and cultural identities to make cooperation possible. The idea of common northern European historical identity is described as important for successful cooperation. At the same time, language and communication difficulties, differences in work practices and national legislation, differences in status and different areas of interest are seen as collaboration obstacles. However, the border officers are united in their views and efforts to protect EU territory and Schengen space from external threat and criminal activity.
Research Interests:
Yakhlef , Sophia; Basic, Goran and Åkerström, Malin (2015a) Project Turnstone: Successful Collaboration and Collaboration Obstacles in Police, Border, and Coast Guard Cooperation. Lund: Lund University. In Swedish: Projekt Turnstone är... more
Yakhlef , Sophia; Basic, Goran and Åkerström, Malin (2015a) Project Turnstone: Successful Collaboration and Collaboration Obstacles in Police, Border, and Coast Guard Cooperation. Lund: Lund University.
In Swedish:
Projekt Turnstone är ett samverkansprojekt delvis finansierat av Europeiska kommissionen. Projektet är ett initiativ av Stockholmspolisens gränsbevakningsenhet. Samverkanspartners i projektet är Svenska
Kustbevakningen, Region Nord öst; Helsingforspolisen; Gränsbevakningsväsendet, Finland; Polis och Gränsbevakningen i Estland; Statliga Gränsbevakningen, Lettiska republiken; och den Statliga Gränsservicen för inrikesministeriet Litauiska republiken. Syftet med Projekt Turnstone är att minska gränsöverskridande brottslighet och förbättra dagligt samarbete mellan gräns, polis och kustbevakare i Östersjöregionen. I denna studie analyserar vi detta samverkansprojekt och speciellt gemensamma underrättelse och operativa aktiviteter som genomfördes under Projekt Turnstone. Syftet är att analysera hur deltagande poliser, gränsbevakare och kustbevakare definierar framgångsrikt samarbete och samarbetshinder. Denna kvalitativa studie baseras på etnografiskt insamlat material som fältobservation och intervjuer. Sjuttiotre intervjuer genomfördes med gränspoliser, gränsbevakare och kustbevakare från de deltagande myndigheterna. Denna studie visar att deltagande polis, gräns och kustbevakare beskriver Projekt Turnstone som en möjlighet att utveckla ett nära och personligt samarbete där deltagarna kan bygga och starka bevakningsnätverk och därmed också behålla och förstärka gamla nätverkssamarbeten. Detta är möjligt på grund av samlokalisering och personliga möten där deltagarna kan lära sig mer om varandras organisationspraktiker, skapa förtroende och sträva mot att uppnå gemensamma mål. Arbetsmodellen som används i Turnstone framställs vara unik på grund av införandet av operativa veckor där deltagarna kan byta och dela information samt samarbeta med omedelbar verkan. Deltagarna arbetar på samma arbetsplats med tillgång till sina respektive informationskanaler och databaser. Denna studie visar även samverkansproblem, som till exempel språkhinder och andra kommunikationssvårigheter samt skillnader i mandat och nationella lagar. Deltagarna har även uppmärksammat en rädsla för att det samarbete som har utvecklats under de operativa veckorna inte kommer att
leva vidare när Projekt Turnstone har avslutats. Trots dessa hinder har intervjuade deltagare uppmärksammat att de strävar mot samma mål och har en stark motivation och att ett nära personligt arbete är det bästa sättet att skydda EU och Schengenområdet mot kriminalitet i Östersjöområdet.
In English:
Project Turnstone is a collaborative project funded in part by the European Commission. The project is an initiative by the Stockholm Police. Collaborating partners in the project are the Swedish Coast Guard, Region Northeast; the Helsinki Police; the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District; the Police and Border Guard Board in Estonia; the State Border Guard of the Republic of Latvia; and the State Border Guard Service at the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania. The aim of this project is to decrease trans-boundary criminality and improve day-to-day cooperation between border officers in the Baltic Sea region. This study analyses this collaborative project, especially the intelligence and operative joint activities conducted during the implementation of Project Turnstone. What is unique about the Turnstone model is the implementation of the operative action week, during which officers have the chance to exchange, share, and cooperate with immediate action in the same office using their own information channels. The purpose of the study is to map and analyse how the staff of the different organizations experience, understand, and define successful cooperation and the collaboration obstacles encountered during cooperation with neighbouring organizations. The study is qualitative and based on ethnographically gathered material, including field observations at the different border agencies and qualitative interviews. A total of 73 interviews were conducted with border officers, police officers, border guards, and coast guard officers from the participating organizations. The interviewed officers view Project Turnstone as a rare opportunity for close, personal cooperation through which officers can build strong police, border, and coast guard networks and increase and strengthen previous cooperative practices. This cooperation is possible due to colocation and interpersonal interactions in which officers can learn about each other’s organizational practices, establish trust, and achieve the same goals. On the other hand, language and communication difficulties, differences in national legislation, and fear that the opportunities for joint action weeks and close cooperation will diminish after the termination of Project Turnstone were raised as obstacles to collaboration. Nonetheless, interviewed officers shared a common sense of purpose and motivation and viewed close interpersonal cooperation as the best way of protecting the EU and Schengen area from criminality in the Baltic Sea area.
In Swedish:
Projekt Turnstone är ett samverkansprojekt delvis finansierat av Europeiska kommissionen. Projektet är ett initiativ av Stockholmspolisens gränsbevakningsenhet. Samverkanspartners i projektet är Svenska
Kustbevakningen, Region Nord öst; Helsingforspolisen; Gränsbevakningsväsendet, Finland; Polis och Gränsbevakningen i Estland; Statliga Gränsbevakningen, Lettiska republiken; och den Statliga Gränsservicen för inrikesministeriet Litauiska republiken. Syftet med Projekt Turnstone är att minska gränsöverskridande brottslighet och förbättra dagligt samarbete mellan gräns, polis och kustbevakare i Östersjöregionen. I denna studie analyserar vi detta samverkansprojekt och speciellt gemensamma underrättelse och operativa aktiviteter som genomfördes under Projekt Turnstone. Syftet är att analysera hur deltagande poliser, gränsbevakare och kustbevakare definierar framgångsrikt samarbete och samarbetshinder. Denna kvalitativa studie baseras på etnografiskt insamlat material som fältobservation och intervjuer. Sjuttiotre intervjuer genomfördes med gränspoliser, gränsbevakare och kustbevakare från de deltagande myndigheterna. Denna studie visar att deltagande polis, gräns och kustbevakare beskriver Projekt Turnstone som en möjlighet att utveckla ett nära och personligt samarbete där deltagarna kan bygga och starka bevakningsnätverk och därmed också behålla och förstärka gamla nätverkssamarbeten. Detta är möjligt på grund av samlokalisering och personliga möten där deltagarna kan lära sig mer om varandras organisationspraktiker, skapa förtroende och sträva mot att uppnå gemensamma mål. Arbetsmodellen som används i Turnstone framställs vara unik på grund av införandet av operativa veckor där deltagarna kan byta och dela information samt samarbeta med omedelbar verkan. Deltagarna arbetar på samma arbetsplats med tillgång till sina respektive informationskanaler och databaser. Denna studie visar även samverkansproblem, som till exempel språkhinder och andra kommunikationssvårigheter samt skillnader i mandat och nationella lagar. Deltagarna har även uppmärksammat en rädsla för att det samarbete som har utvecklats under de operativa veckorna inte kommer att
leva vidare när Projekt Turnstone har avslutats. Trots dessa hinder har intervjuade deltagare uppmärksammat att de strävar mot samma mål och har en stark motivation och att ett nära personligt arbete är det bästa sättet att skydda EU och Schengenområdet mot kriminalitet i Östersjöområdet.
In English:
Project Turnstone is a collaborative project funded in part by the European Commission. The project is an initiative by the Stockholm Police. Collaborating partners in the project are the Swedish Coast Guard, Region Northeast; the Helsinki Police; the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District; the Police and Border Guard Board in Estonia; the State Border Guard of the Republic of Latvia; and the State Border Guard Service at the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania. The aim of this project is to decrease trans-boundary criminality and improve day-to-day cooperation between border officers in the Baltic Sea region. This study analyses this collaborative project, especially the intelligence and operative joint activities conducted during the implementation of Project Turnstone. What is unique about the Turnstone model is the implementation of the operative action week, during which officers have the chance to exchange, share, and cooperate with immediate action in the same office using their own information channels. The purpose of the study is to map and analyse how the staff of the different organizations experience, understand, and define successful cooperation and the collaboration obstacles encountered during cooperation with neighbouring organizations. The study is qualitative and based on ethnographically gathered material, including field observations at the different border agencies and qualitative interviews. A total of 73 interviews were conducted with border officers, police officers, border guards, and coast guard officers from the participating organizations. The interviewed officers view Project Turnstone as a rare opportunity for close, personal cooperation through which officers can build strong police, border, and coast guard networks and increase and strengthen previous cooperative practices. This cooperation is possible due to colocation and interpersonal interactions in which officers can learn about each other’s organizational practices, establish trust, and achieve the same goals. On the other hand, language and communication difficulties, differences in national legislation, and fear that the opportunities for joint action weeks and close cooperation will diminish after the termination of Project Turnstone were raised as obstacles to collaboration. Nonetheless, interviewed officers shared a common sense of purpose and motivation and viewed close interpersonal cooperation as the best way of protecting the EU and Schengen area from criminality in the Baltic Sea area.
Research Interests:
Yakhlef , Sophia; Basic, Goran, and Åkerström, Malin (2015b) Project Turnstone: Freedom of Movement and Passenger Experiences with Safety and Border Control in the Baltic Sea Area. Lund: Lund University. In Swedish: Projekt Turnstone... more
Yakhlef , Sophia; Basic, Goran, and Åkerström, Malin (2015b) Project Turnstone: Freedom of Movement and Passenger Experiences with Safety and Border Control in the Baltic Sea Area. Lund: Lund University.
In Swedish:
Projekt Turnstone är ett samverkansprojekt delvis finansierat av Europeiska kommissionen. Projektet är ett initiativ av Stockholmspolisens gränsbevakningsenhet. Syftet med Projekt Turnstone är att minska gränsöverskridande brottslighet, förbättra dagligt samarbete mellan gräns, polis och kustbevakare i Östersjöregionen och förbättra säkerheten för passagerare i Östersjöregionen utan att göra avkall på fria rörligheten. Syftet med studien är att utifrån empiriska material kartlägga och analysera hur resenärer upplever, tolkar, och definierar fri rörlighet i regionen i norra Östersjöregionen. Studien baseras på fältintervjuer och fältobservationer på Arlanda flygplats i Stockholm, Sverige, en Tallink Silja Line färja mellan Stockholm och Riga i Lettland och en Tallink Silja Line färja mellan Stockholm och Tallinn. Denna studie visar att många passagerare är positivt inställda till fria rörligheten inom Europa, men rädda för hot utifrån Europa. Flera intervjupersoner ansåg att Sverige och norra Europa var säkert och många nämnde att hot ofta kommer utifrån Europa. Passagerare identifierade främst hot mot samhället, såsom terrorism och gränsöverskridande brottslighet istället för flyg och färjeolyckor. Fria rörligheten beskrivs som en eventuell samhällsrisk och placeras därför i en större social kontext av intervjupersonerna. Trots detta har alla passagerare utom tre svarat att de känner sig säkra på sina resor. Många har även nämnt att de skulle känna sig säkrare om det fanns konsekventa passkontroller. De intervjuade passagerarna konstruerar säkerhet genom att göra åtskillnad på Européer och utomeuropéer. Passagerna hävdar att fria rörligheten är positiv för deras personliga intressen eftersom det är lättare för Europeiska medborgare att resa inom Europa, men nämner också att det gör det lättare för Europeiska unionen att drabbas av hot.
In English:
Project Turnstone is a collaborative project funded in part by the European Commission. The project is an initiative by the Stockholm Police. The purpose of the project is to improve day-to-day cooperation between border officers in the Baltic Sea region, decrease trans-boundary criminality, and increase security for passengers in the Baltic Sea area without compromising freedom of movement. Within the framework of Project Turnstone, the purpose of this study is to map and analyse how travellers experience, interpret, and define freedom of movement in the northern part of the Baltic Sea region. This qualitative study is based on empirically gathered material, including field interviews and fieldwork observations at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport in Sweden, a Tallink Silja Line ferry between Stockholm and Riga in Latvia, and a Tallink Silja Line ferry between Stockholm and Tallinn in Estonia. The findings of this study suggest that many passengers are positive regarding the idea of freedom of movement in Europe but are scared of threats from outside of Europe. Several interviewees viewed Sweden and the northern parts of Europe as safe and mostly identified threats as coming from outside of Europe. Passengers generally identified political and collective threats, such as terrorism and cross-border criminality, but did not mention airplane or ferry accidents as possible risks. Freedom of movement is described as a potential risk for society and passengers, thereby placing risk in a larger societal context. Nevertheless, all but three of the interviewed passengers claimed that they felt safe during their travels, though many also added that they might feel safer if there were consistent passport controls regarding all travellers. The respondents in this study construct safety by distinguishing themselves from others outside of Europe. Passengers emphasized that freedom of movement is positive for personal gain because it is easier for EU citizens to travel in Europe, but at the same time it is regarded as facilitating the entry of potential threats into the EU.
In Swedish:
Projekt Turnstone är ett samverkansprojekt delvis finansierat av Europeiska kommissionen. Projektet är ett initiativ av Stockholmspolisens gränsbevakningsenhet. Syftet med Projekt Turnstone är att minska gränsöverskridande brottslighet, förbättra dagligt samarbete mellan gräns, polis och kustbevakare i Östersjöregionen och förbättra säkerheten för passagerare i Östersjöregionen utan att göra avkall på fria rörligheten. Syftet med studien är att utifrån empiriska material kartlägga och analysera hur resenärer upplever, tolkar, och definierar fri rörlighet i regionen i norra Östersjöregionen. Studien baseras på fältintervjuer och fältobservationer på Arlanda flygplats i Stockholm, Sverige, en Tallink Silja Line färja mellan Stockholm och Riga i Lettland och en Tallink Silja Line färja mellan Stockholm och Tallinn. Denna studie visar att många passagerare är positivt inställda till fria rörligheten inom Europa, men rädda för hot utifrån Europa. Flera intervjupersoner ansåg att Sverige och norra Europa var säkert och många nämnde att hot ofta kommer utifrån Europa. Passagerare identifierade främst hot mot samhället, såsom terrorism och gränsöverskridande brottslighet istället för flyg och färjeolyckor. Fria rörligheten beskrivs som en eventuell samhällsrisk och placeras därför i en större social kontext av intervjupersonerna. Trots detta har alla passagerare utom tre svarat att de känner sig säkra på sina resor. Många har även nämnt att de skulle känna sig säkrare om det fanns konsekventa passkontroller. De intervjuade passagerarna konstruerar säkerhet genom att göra åtskillnad på Européer och utomeuropéer. Passagerna hävdar att fria rörligheten är positiv för deras personliga intressen eftersom det är lättare för Europeiska medborgare att resa inom Europa, men nämner också att det gör det lättare för Europeiska unionen att drabbas av hot.
In English:
Project Turnstone is a collaborative project funded in part by the European Commission. The project is an initiative by the Stockholm Police. The purpose of the project is to improve day-to-day cooperation between border officers in the Baltic Sea region, decrease trans-boundary criminality, and increase security for passengers in the Baltic Sea area without compromising freedom of movement. Within the framework of Project Turnstone, the purpose of this study is to map and analyse how travellers experience, interpret, and define freedom of movement in the northern part of the Baltic Sea region. This qualitative study is based on empirically gathered material, including field interviews and fieldwork observations at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport in Sweden, a Tallink Silja Line ferry between Stockholm and Riga in Latvia, and a Tallink Silja Line ferry between Stockholm and Tallinn in Estonia. The findings of this study suggest that many passengers are positive regarding the idea of freedom of movement in Europe but are scared of threats from outside of Europe. Several interviewees viewed Sweden and the northern parts of Europe as safe and mostly identified threats as coming from outside of Europe. Passengers generally identified political and collective threats, such as terrorism and cross-border criminality, but did not mention airplane or ferry accidents as possible risks. Freedom of movement is described as a potential risk for society and passengers, thereby placing risk in a larger societal context. Nevertheless, all but three of the interviewed passengers claimed that they felt safe during their travels, though many also added that they might feel safer if there were consistent passport controls regarding all travellers. The respondents in this study construct safety by distinguishing themselves from others outside of Europe. Passengers emphasized that freedom of movement is positive for personal gain because it is easier for EU citizens to travel in Europe, but at the same time it is regarded as facilitating the entry of potential threats into the EU.
Research Interests:
International Conference on Migration, Irregularisation and Activism: Challenging Contemporary Border Regimes, Racism and Subordination, The Swedish Forte-network on "Irregular migrants and irregular migration", Malmö Institute for... more
International Conference on Migration, Irregularisation and Activism: Challenging Contemporary Border Regimes, Racism and Subordination, The Swedish Forte-network on "Irregular migrants and irregular migration", Malmö Institute for Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare (MIM) at Malmö University and Department of Global Political Studies at Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden (20160615-20160616). ”Border management, cooperation and control in the Baltic Sea area” (with Sophia Yakhlef), p. 43.
Recent events in Europe concerning the large influx of irregular migrants and re-implementation of border controls have drawn our attention towards European migration management and border politics. Border officers claim that they must rely on cooperation to perform their duties of border guarding. In 2014 a collaborative project initiated by the Stockholm County Police, Border Division in Sweden was commenced. The project was partly funded by the European commission. The participants were border police and border authorities in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden. This is a qualitative study based on empirically gathered material such as field interviews with border officers and fieldwork observations. This study suggests that the border officers re-negotiate spatial and cultural identities to make cooperation possible creating new distinctions and boundaries of “us and them”. The border officers are united in their views and efforts to protect EU territory and Schengen space from criminal activity but some express ambivalence towards categories of “criminals” concerning irregular migrants. At the same time, cooperation and increased social interaction stimulate the officers to create new categories of “us and them”; those who you know personally trust and those whom you do not know and cannot trust. Earlier distinctions between the east (the former soviet states such as Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia) and the west (Sweden and Finland) are in some ways diminished through interaction and close cooperation. Instead, the Baltic Sea officers create distinctions between themselves and southern European countries regarding work methods, general attitude, opinions, and efficiency.
Recent events in Europe concerning the large influx of irregular migrants and re-implementation of border controls have drawn our attention towards European migration management and border politics. Border officers claim that they must rely on cooperation to perform their duties of border guarding. In 2014 a collaborative project initiated by the Stockholm County Police, Border Division in Sweden was commenced. The project was partly funded by the European commission. The participants were border police and border authorities in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden. This is a qualitative study based on empirically gathered material such as field interviews with border officers and fieldwork observations. This study suggests that the border officers re-negotiate spatial and cultural identities to make cooperation possible creating new distinctions and boundaries of “us and them”. The border officers are united in their views and efforts to protect EU territory and Schengen space from criminal activity but some express ambivalence towards categories of “criminals” concerning irregular migrants. At the same time, cooperation and increased social interaction stimulate the officers to create new categories of “us and them”; those who you know personally trust and those whom you do not know and cannot trust. Earlier distinctions between the east (the former soviet states such as Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia) and the west (Sweden and Finland) are in some ways diminished through interaction and close cooperation. Instead, the Baltic Sea officers create distinctions between themselves and southern European countries regarding work methods, general attitude, opinions, and efficiency.
Research Interests:
Yakhlef, Sophia; Basic, Goran and Åkerström, Malin (2016) “Risk, Safety and Freedom of Movement: In Airplane and Ferry Passenger Stories in the Northern Baltic Sea Region”. Journal of Criminal Justice and Security, 18(2): 175-193.... more
Yakhlef, Sophia; Basic, Goran and Åkerström, Malin (2016) “Risk, Safety and Freedom of Movement: In Airplane and Ferry Passenger Stories in the Northern Baltic Sea Region”. Journal of Criminal Justice and Security, 18(2): 175-193.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to map and analyse how travellers at an airport and on ferries experience, interpret and define the risk, safety and freedom of movement in the northern part of the Baltic Sea region with regard to the border agencies. Design/Methods/Approach:
This qualitative study is based on empirically gathered material such as
field interviews and fieldwork observations on Stockholm’s Arlanda airport in Sweden, and a Tallink Silja Line ferry running between Stockholm and Riga in Latvia. The study’s general starting point was an ethno-methodologically inspired perspective on verbal descriptions along with an interactionist perspective which considers interactions expressed through language and gestures. Apart from this starting point, this study focused on the construction of safety as particularly relevant components of the collected empirical material. Findings: The study findings suggest that many passengers at the airport and on the ferries hold positive views about the idea of the freedom of movement in Europe, but are scared of threats coming from outside Europe. The travellers created and re-created the phenomenon of safety which is maintained in contrast to others, in this case the threats from outside Europe. Originality/Value: The passengers in this study construct safety by distinguishing against the others outside Europe but also through interaction with them. The passengers emphasise that the freedom of movement is personally beneficial because it is easier for EU citizens to travel within Europe but, at the same time, it is regarded as facilitating the entry of potential threats into the European Union.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to map and analyse how travellers at an airport and on ferries experience, interpret and define the risk, safety and freedom of movement in the northern part of the Baltic Sea region with regard to the border agencies. Design/Methods/Approach:
This qualitative study is based on empirically gathered material such as
field interviews and fieldwork observations on Stockholm’s Arlanda airport in Sweden, and a Tallink Silja Line ferry running between Stockholm and Riga in Latvia. The study’s general starting point was an ethno-methodologically inspired perspective on verbal descriptions along with an interactionist perspective which considers interactions expressed through language and gestures. Apart from this starting point, this study focused on the construction of safety as particularly relevant components of the collected empirical material. Findings: The study findings suggest that many passengers at the airport and on the ferries hold positive views about the idea of the freedom of movement in Europe, but are scared of threats coming from outside Europe. The travellers created and re-created the phenomenon of safety which is maintained in contrast to others, in this case the threats from outside Europe. Originality/Value: The passengers in this study construct safety by distinguishing against the others outside Europe but also through interaction with them. The passengers emphasise that the freedom of movement is personally beneficial because it is easier for EU citizens to travel within Europe but, at the same time, it is regarded as facilitating the entry of potential threats into the European Union.