Chris's Reviews > Against Borders: The Case for Abolition

“Against Borders” by Gracie Mae Bradley and Luke de Noronha

Borders organize the world into nation-states, serving as a restraint on human movement and a justification for racist and gendered violence against migrant populations. Bradley and de Noronha argue in this thoughtful, sharp, and radical examination of borders that the only way to create equitable migrant experiences which honors their humanity: Abolish Borders. 


This book blew me away with its insightful critiques of borders and citizenship as methods of stratification within nation-states, with politicians and police relying on securitization scare tactics as a means of justifying their continued existence. The authors also produce a strong case for why reforms of immigration systems and citizenship are insufficient. Although I struggle with envisioning abolition, I recognize that this is the power of the organizing and system and that Bradley and de Noronha note that the absence of an organizing principle of borders is exactly the point. My one critique of the book is in the use of fictional futures only at the end of the book. I believe they could have been an effective device but the placement only at the end was an odd choice; they could have been more effectively developed if used to introduce or illustrate points throughout. 


A strong recommendation from me, but I think the complexity of the book does not render this a read for everyone.