Following the series of policy briefs elaborated by the B-Shapes project to support evidence-based policymaking and inclusive considerations for policymakers and those interested in the role of borders within the wider context of EU Cohesion policy and practice, we now present PB # 10 European Borderlands, Borders and Minorities by Marcus Nicolson, Alice Engl and Johanna Mitterhofer. Drawing on the B-SHAPES project’s research across five European border regions —South Tyrol, Zaolzie/Těšín Silesia, North & South Schleswig, Southern Slovakia, and Western Thrace—this policy brief highlights how minority youth experience borders and the European Union and provides recommendations to EU policymakers and EU officials.
Borders Shaping Perceptions of European Societies (B-SHAPES) is a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action project that analyses how borders remain a key factor in our understanding of societies. Eight European universities, one research institute, a national museum, a foundation, a political association, a consultancy, and an art collective have come together for three years[1]. The special border region focus promises new insights into how borders shape perceptions of societies, and how the story of borders can be narrated differently than from a purely national perspective.
B-SHAPES continuously summarises and disseminates key findings from the research in a way which can support an evidence-informed approach to policy debates. It thereby offers considerations for policymakers and those interested in the role of borders within the broader context of EU Cohesion policy and practice.
Borders have regained political and symbolic prominence in Europe following the 2015-2016 migration crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, with significant implications for minority communities living in border regions. For minorities whose identities, languages, and social ties often span state borders, re-bordering events disrupt everyday life and challenge long-established cross-border practices.
Analysis of minority media and fieldwork with young people shows a stark contrast in how borders and the EU are framed. While minority newspapers tend to portray borders through political or securitised lenses, young minority borderlanders view borders pragmatically as open, functional spaces facilitated by Schengen. For them, linguistic and cultural differences are often more salient “borders” than physical checkpoints. Crises such as the pandemic, however, reveal the fragility of openness, reinforcing feelings of inequality, particularly among groups with more restricted mobility.
Young minority members across regions conceive of the EU primarily as a practical enabler of free movement, education, and opportunities rather than as an emotional community of belonging. Despite this instrumental view, they internalise European integration in their daily routines. At the same time, many express scepticism about the EU’s consistency in protecting minority rights and perceive EU institutions as distant from their lived experiences. Their strong regional and minority identities shape cross-border imaginaries and contribute positively to local cohesion and cultural vitality.
The findings underscore a key conclusion: minority communities are assets to European border regions, and minority youth, embedded in multilingual, cross-cultural environments, embody the everyday reality of European integration. Yet their perspectives remain insufficiently represented in policymaking. Ensuring that EU policies address the vulnerabilities and potentials of borderland communities, particularly minorities, strengthening minority protection, and embedding youth and minority voices is essential for building a more inclusive and cohesive Europe.
Read the entire B-Shapes Policy Brief #10 here
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[1] The Centre of Border Region Studies at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) coordinates B-SHAPES. Other partners in the consortium are: Brunel University London, Halmstad University, University of Oulu, University of Wroclaw, University of Strasbourg, ELTE University in Budapest, Technical University of Liberec in the Czech Republic, EURAC Research, the Bulgarian Museum of National History, the Lungomare artists’ collective in South Tyrol (Italy), the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR/AGEG/ARFE), KREATUS Consultancy, and the European Network Remembrance and Solidary Foundation.
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