melilla

As the disparity between rich and poor grows across the world, migrants from countries so-called 'third' fight harder to cross the lines into the countries self-proclaimed 'first'. And as the countries at the top of the ladder spend more and more to close and militarize their borders in order to keep the 'others' out, those locked out die to get in. Similar to the US/Mexico border that is slowly being sealed off to those from the south, Fortress Europe works hard and fast to close itself off from those on the outside, those called unworthy. This essay is part of a larger project focused on the look of borders become manifest, the look of the land and the people when the arbitrary line in the sand takes form, becomes militarized and is deadly. These shots were taken from Melilla, Spain, a Spanish enclave in the north of Morocco. Migrants travel for 4,5,6 years to reach this side of the line only to be held in migrant holding centers, some for years, awaiting the legal system to either award them papers or deport them to where they started and worked so hard (and many died) to get away from. And although the specific images and situations (i.e. the border itself and how detention works, etc) may vary slightly from that of the US/Mexico border or around Israel's Wall in Palestine, the root issues remain the same; Those called first world nations (which could not function without the labor of these migrants) create a global system that forces people to migrate and then criminalizes those same migrants for trying to enter the promised land where food, jobs and 'security' supposedly remain.

Want to link to this gallery?
Flash Slideshow:

Spanish/Morocca… The border fenc… If a migrant su… CETI (Immigrant… Commonly, migra… The boardwalk i… The European Co… A few of the Mo… Life along the … Bangladeshi mig… Along the borde… A look into the… A guard tower i… A common story,… The border fenc… A guard tower i… Some Moroccans … A common situat… The Spanish bor… Working with th… Migrants from A… Migrants from A… The Spanish bor… Late at night, … Tents have been… In the Banglade… Very few migran… The Spanish bor… A group of migr…

Keywords migration immigration spain morocco wall border africa north bangladesh india detention fence military sea death desert