Fortress Europe's Inner Wall Migrant Dilemmas at the Brenner Pass

Migrants fleeing war and misery in Africa and the Middle East cross deserts and seas in search of a better life in Europe, but a final obstacle awaits many who don’t expect it: the Brenner Pass, Italy’s border with Austria located in the middle of the Alps – Fortress Europe’s Inner Wall. EU rules require asylum-seekers to stay in the first European country they set foot in, but family ties in other countries, employment opportunities and poor reception conditions in Italy drive thousands to head north anyway. Austria and Germany try to keep the migrants out, with Italy’s reluctant cooperation. Marco Funk got to know them and the difficult circumstances they face while volunteering for a humanitarian aid organisation at the Brenner, and investigated the reception conditions that prompt so many to leave Sicily. This book combines migrants’ stories with personal observations and political analysis to provide a conclusive critique of European migration laws.