Navigating re-borderings: resilience strategies of national minorities in border regions

Many European border regions are home to national minorities, which were divided from their kinstate through historical bordering processes. European integration has eased connections with the kinstates, especially when the Schengen regime of open borders was implemented. This article scrutinizes how borderland minorities have been coping with re-borderings in times of crisis and how the inclusion of borderland minorities in cross-border regional policies and planning can improve the development of cross-border regions. Drawing on qualitative data gathered in five European border regions, including semi-structured interviews and creative zine-making workshops, our findings highlight that minority youth engage in adaptive practices that sustain cross-border ties and mobilize hybrid cultural identities against re-borderings. However, resilience capacities vary across EU borderlands, revealing asymmetries in structural support. Hence, we argue that incorporating minority voices into spatial planning and regional policymaking is essential for strengthening the long-term development of border regions.