The Brexit saga, the Mediterranean tragedy, the Schengen pantomime, the asylum redistribution farce… These are some of the ‘performances’ that defined European borders in 2018. Below you will find a visual review of the year that has just passed.

 

January

Living in a post-Brexit world…France and UK fight over the ‘new’ Channel border 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February

Living in a post-Brexit world 2: Irish passports quite popular these days …

 

 

 

 

 

 

March

Plus ça change…: Germany Interior minister calls for suspension of Schengen Agreement

 

 

 

 

 

 

April

Oh well, post-Brexit UK ‘blue passports’ will be printed in the EU after all…

 

 

 

 

 

 

May

Give me more…European Commission wants 10,000 border guards

 

 

June

Closed ports: The Aquarius saga in the Mediterranean

 

 

 

 

 

 

July

Breaking taboos: Serbia proposes a territorial swap with Kosovo…

 

 

 

 

 

 

August

…and the EU commission gives the go-ahead to the swap!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September

Tightening the screw: Germany and Austria back tougher EU external border

 

 

 

 

 

 

October

High alert at the border! Italian police blow up a bag of…coconuts!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November

EU backs (once again) plans for migrant centres in Africa

 

 

 

 

 

December

Here we go again…EU leaders stuck on asylum reform