Border enclaves : An ethnography of a contested territory in Europe’s southern periphery

An ethnographic study of Melilla, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, revealing how borders, sovereignty and belonging are negotiated through everyday life, illicit economies and symbolic performances at Europe’s margins. -- .

Border enclaves examines the Spanish enclave of Melilla as a prism for understanding Europe’s contemporary dislocations. Based on over a decade of ethnographic research, it explores how borders are enforced, contested and inhabited in a city suspended between Africa and Europe, colonial legacies and modern regimes. Through a polyphonic narrative following smugglers, migrants, teachers and politicians, it reveals how everyday practices and symbolic performances shape life in the enclave. Selective visibility—who is seen or erased—structures authority and exclusion. Situating Melilla within broader processes like Spain’s colonial history and Europe’s border restructuring, the book argues that its fragmented sovereignties and external dependencies make it a paradigmatic site for grasping Europe’s precarious margins. It calls for an ethnographic lens attuned to dislocation as both lived experience and analytic tool. -- .