Europe’s growing border barriers: an invisible threat to wildlife

As the EU builds more fences to curb migration, these structures disrupt wildlife habitats, posing significant ecological challenges.



Reuters

From lynxes and bears to reptiles, these barriers block critical migration paths and isolate animal populations, damaging Europe’s already fragile ecosystems. / Photo: Reuters


In recent years, the European Union has intensified its border security to prevent illegal migration, erecting physical barriers through some of the continent’s largest forests.


According to data from the European Parliament, the total length of border fences at the EU’s external and internal borders within the EU/Schengen area expanded from 315 kilometres in 2014 to 2,048 kilometres by 2022.

However, these fences—often stretching through biodiverse regions like the Carpathians, the Balkans, and the Białowieża Forest in the Polish-Belarusian wall—pose significant threats to Europe’s wildlife.


Walls and fences designed to secure borders could make it difficult for almost 700 mammal species to roam freely as they do seasonally, thus impacting their ability to adapt to climate change, according to a study by the Natural Environment Research Council.


From lynxes and bears to reptiles, these barriers block critical migration paths and isolate animal populations, damaging Europe’s already fragile ecosystems.

The Białowieża Forest, which spans the border of Poland and Belarus, is one of Europe’s last remaining primaeval forests and home to species such as European bison, wolves, and lynxes.


Here, fences prevent animals from following natural migratory paths, effectively trapping them in isolated habitats on one side of the border.


The inability to cross over means animals like the endangered European bison, which roam across large areas for food, are cut off from essential resources, impacting their survival.


Additionally, this confinement reduces genetic diversity by limiting breeding options, leading to weaker populations that are more susceptible to disease and environmental changes.

Habitat degradation

The Carpathian Mountains, spanning multiple Central and Eastern European countries, host diverse wildlife, including brown bears, lynxes, and wolves.

Border fences cut through these vast forests, obstructing the movement of these apex predators that rely on large hunting grounds. Without access to adequate territory, bears and wolves are forced into smaller areas, leading to conflicts over resources and driving them closer to human populations.

The barriers and fences built to prevent human migration also pose a direct physical threat to many animals. In the Balkans, where cross-border migration of large animals is common, deer and wolves often try to navigate these barbed wire fences, leading to injuries or even death.

Smaller animals, like certain reptiles and amphibians, struggle to reach water sources and breeding grounds, putting local populations at risk. The isolation of habitats by fencing impacts everything from plant life to insects and small mammals, further undermining local biodiversity.

Beyond physical harm, the ecological impact is far-reaching.

Fences alter predator-prey relationships, as animals forced into confined areas can overgraze or overhunt certain regions, leading to habitat degradation.