Cycling Against Borders: Seb’s Journey

Seb saying goodbye to the company he was working for before leaving. (Photo: Sebastiaan Vannisselroy)

Seb’s journey is no ordinary bike ride. So far, he has cycled over 4,346 kilometers, leaving their home in Amsterdam with a mission: to fight against borders. Their journey will stretch across continents, immersing them in regions shaped by complex histories of migration and conflict. As Seb pedals through 20 borders, he seeks to understand the legacies of Western involvement in these areas and how they keep displacing people from their homes. 

It’s a journey about awareness, liability, and learning.

"I didn't know much about borders when I left," Seb admits. "I didn't study them. I was not particularly aware of them. But that's changing." Their journey is not just about physically crossing borders but challenging the idea of borders themselves. Seb shares these reflections through a blog on their website and Instagram page, although he acknowledges the difficulty of documenting their journey while on the road.

Dismantling Invisible Walls

The idea for the trip came around a year and a half ago, during a summer when he stumbled upon the realization that people cycle to India. But Seb’s route is not just about ticking off destinations. "Looking at the route, I was like, okay, that goes through territory which has a lot of history, like Afghanistan, for example, like Iran. There's been so much Western involvement in that. And Afghani people literally, they cannot come to the Netherlands." 

Indeed, Afghan asylum seekers as a national group have attracted considerable public attention in the Netherlands, representing one of the largest asylum-seeking groups in Europe over the past decade. Kuschminder & Dubow (2023) highlight significant challenges and policy contexts that make it difficult for Afghans to come to the Netherlands and remain in the country, particularly as asylum seekers. They face significant hurdles due to restrictive asylum policies and efforts to downplay the dangers in Afghanistan. A high number of asylum applications are refused, and those whose claims are rejected face policies aimed at encouraging their return, including the denial of basic welfare. 

Seb’s logo on their bike: “Cycling against Borders”. (Photo: Sebastiaan Vannisselroy)

What troubles Seb is the contrast between the privilege of Western travelers and the struggles of people displaced by conflicts and economic instability. Seb explains: 

There’s a Facebook group called something like ‘Every Passport Stamp,’ where people literally make it their goal to collect every passport stamp without any political awareness. I didn’t want to be like that. So I had to couple my trip with the political topic of borders and fighting them.

During Seb’s journey, the hypocrisy of borders became painfully clear. In Bulgaria, he witnessed the devastating impact of borders on all sides. "It sucked for us. It sucked for the people crossing. It sucked for the border guards themselves,” he says. “These people were deeply messed up in their psyche and really hurting." This realization hit Seb hardest when he learned of a young migrant who had died of exposure near the Bulgarian border: "He was found by the police. There were little police boot prints in the snow, and nothing was done. Then one and a half months later, I went over that exact border, and within half an hour, I was through. No questions asked. I just showed my passport."

Seb during the experience of solo traveling. (Photo: Sebastiaan Vannisselroy)

Their journey is not without challenges. Just recently, Seb was alone in their tent, sick with a fever and some complications. "It was so awful," he recalls. But he draws motivation from the kindness of people he encounters, particularly now that he is in Turkey. "I'm just blown away every single day by the Turkish people and Turkish culture and hospitality,” he observes. “This is what human solidarity should be about."

The Privilege of Borders

Seb’s bike ride is also a confrontation with their own privilege. "I felt horrible. Being implicated with my Dutch passport and not knowing what it means that I just crossed like that." It’s a bitter truth, but one he is determined to face.

The interactions with people on the move are often bittersweet: 

"Some of the friends I made there went through literal hell getting to Bulgaria. They tried more than once. Three, four, five times. They were grateful for what I was doing, but I don't like that position. So what I would usually say is, ‘Brother, no need to thank. Let’s see ourselves as comrades. You’re fighting borders by showing European people that borders are imagined and that you just get through anyway. And I fight borders in my own way.’"

Seb celebrating the fall of the Assad regime in Syria with some friends in Harmanli, Bulgaria. (Photo: Sebastiaan Vannisselroy)

The initiative is also meant to raise funds for NGOs like No Name Kitchen and MiGreat, supporting their missions to provide aid and advocate for the rights of people on the move. MiGreat is a Dutch organization fighting for freedom of movement for everyone. With around 25 active volunteers and 5 years of work, they push for a world without borders by providing direct aid where government provisions fall short, both in the Netherlands and abroad. They also work to raise awareness against harsh migration policies in the Netherlands and the EU through protests and actions to stop deportations. 

No Name Kitchen is a grassroots group providing vital assistance to people trying to cross into the European Union (EU). Their work includes distributing clothes, food, and medical supplies and offering medical care at the borders. They are a resilient and impactful organization deserving of support.

You can contribute to Seb’s initiative by donating for every 100km he cycles through their donation page. The further he goes, the more funds are raised to support humanitarian efforts. Extinction Rebellion has set up a system to deduct custom amounts of money each month, making it simple to contribute. Donors can pledge any amount they prefer per 100km, and donations go directly to MiGreat or No Name Kitchen.

Seb's journey is not just about crossing borders. It’s about dismantling them, at least conceptually. As he continues the route towards India, Seb’s efforts remind us of the stark differences in freedom of movement. Their story is not one of heroism, but of solidarity and awareness. And as he pedals on, the lessons he learns about borders, privilege, and resistance grow ever more powerful.