About

The blog pages on migrationonline.cz attempt to explore the issues concerning migration in Central and Eastern Europe in a more accessible and informal way than we usually do through the articles, studies and research that we regularly publish. We also see these pages as a good place for informed comment; if you have opinions or additional information to add to any of the blogs published here then please use the 'add comment' function and join the debate. Currently the blogs are divided into two areas: the older "Out of Visegrad" blogs (which are still updated from time to time) and the new "Border Blogs" which will be updated every week.

The project "Border Blogs" brings together the blogs of migrants and experts in an attempt to explore the changes which will take place as the Schengen area expands, both at the external edges of the European Union and in regards to the changing experience of crossing borders.

We hope that the blogs and related articles published on migrationonline.cz will start to answer some of the following questions: how does the extended dissolution of internal EU border controls effect the situation at the outer edge of the European border? What is the situation for those who have to regularly travel across this border? What will it mean to get a Schengen visa at the Polish or Czech consulates? How does the experience of EU migrants differ from those coming from outside the European Union? Will the extension of Schengen and possible changes at the eastern border affect the practice in regards to border controls at the southern borders? What changes will take place (if any) in how these southern borders will be controlled over the coming months? How does the conflict between, on one hand security, and on the other good neighbourhood economic social and cultural relations, translate for the people crossing the Eastern European border?

These blogs were realised with the support of the European Commission as part of the “The Campaign in Support of the Equal Opportunities for All in the Czech Republic” as they aim to detail the different discriminatory practices found when crossing international borders throughout Europe and compare them with the Czech case in the hope to analyse good a bad practices and search for solutions.

This project further is realised with support from the European Cultural Foundation (www.eurocult.org) as part of the wider project "Not About Us Without Us" which explores migration at the edge of the European Union through a number of scientific and artistic means (You can find out more about the project here.)

The project "Out of Visegrad" reflects upon the labour migration from the V4 countries to Western Europe. Created by eight migrants from the V4 countries who have recently gone to Western Europe to work, the "Out of Visegrad" blogs will continue to contribute to the European debate on labour mobility. Unlike the image of a "typical" labour migrant, our bloggers have graduated from universities, tend to speak English fluently, have computer skills and access to the internet.

With the enlargement of the European Union and the gradual lifting of barriers to labour mobility, migrationonline.cz is increasingly concerned with the following set of questions: Who is leaving the region to seek work abroad? How are migrants from Central and Eastern Europe perceived in Western Europe? How does labour mobility affect the sending countries' economy? How does the fluctuation of these migrants affect traditional cultural and social patterns in the CEE countries?

With these questions in mind a series of articles relating to labour migration from Visegrad counties, along with a selection of the most relevant and interesting blogs, were published in the specially created magazine Visegrad Moves, which is available for free in various places across the region (click here for more information).

The project received the kind support of the International Visegrad Fund, www.visegradfund.org and of the European Union (DG Employment and Social Affairs).