The floating karst flow of migrants as a rite of passage through the Eastern European border

Since the so-called ‘migrant crisis’ in 2015, the Balkan route has resumed its old function as an overland passage from Eastern to Central Europe and the area between Italy and Slovenia has constituted a migratory crossroads towards Northern Europe. In the last two years, there has been a constant increase of rejection policies in Italy and in the Western Balkans that has forced asylum seekers on undercover paths, with stops, blocks, rejections and many attempts to overcome the militarized borders. The article reports the consequences of the new migration policies on the Balkan route toward Italy, with a particular focus on the exclusion and the resistance of migrants that, like karst waters, are changing trajectories and tactics along the road. The Balkans constitute a liminal area where the process of ‘bordering’ is played both by migrants and by European policies. Through the concept of ‘tidemark’ the underground flow of migrants is interpreted as a typical rite of passage with suspended temporality and reflux mobility where the Balkans constitute a ‘waiting room’ and a liminal transit area with a ‘waiting game’ toward Central Europe.