ABSTRACT
This closing chapter examines the potential for change within the intra-Schengen mobility control apparatus by exploring how discretion can be used not only to uphold existing border practices but also to resist and reform them from within. It reflects on the previous chapters’ discussions of the role of discretion in the intersection of migration control and crime prevention, known as crimmigration, and how various actors – both at the street level and in decision-making bodies – exercise a discretionary power. This chapter posits that this discretion, although often reinforcing systemic inequalities and exclusion, could serve as a tool for resistance by state agents working within the apparatus. By highlighting examples of ‘dissent from within’, it explores how border officials and other actors might push back against unjust policies and practices, motivated by moral discomfort or ethical obligations. This chapter also engages with the idea of ‘public border criminology’, urging scholars to play a role in empowering individuals within the system to challenge problematic bordering practices. In doing so, this chapter looks to envision a reimagining of intra-Schengen border management that moves towards more humane and just policies, without losing sight of the complex geopolitical realities that sustain the current system.
