The changing border: developments and risks in border control management of Western countries

Abstract

In recent decades we have witnessed the development of a new type of migration regulation and border control in Europe, North America and Australia. In this new system of controls, the focus is less on the physical crossing of territorial borders and more on the process as a whole; from airline reservations, ticketing and visa applications to monitoring individuals after arriving in the country of destination. The developing mode of border control encompasses a multiplication of borders, a multiplication of actors and a multiplication of data and technology. The question arises: Does the new form of border management in Western countries bring forward the aims of border control more effectively and does it entail new risks (for visitors/migrants)? In this article I will first outline a normative framework for evaluating current developments in border control, building on studies in political theory and the philosophy of law. I then substantiate my claim that a new type of border control is developing and present an overview of three interconnected multiplications. Next, using findings from empirical and legal studies, (likely) consequences of the multiplications will be presented. Linking these consequences to the normative framework allows us, finally, to point out risks of the currently developing system of border control.Points for practitionersIn recent decades Western countries have introduced new measures of border control, including new technologies and new types of agents in new roles. Together, these new measures make for a new type of global border control management. Our evaluation of this development shows that it entails new types of risks, and that these risks are likely to increase if this type of management develops further along the same lines. This analysis calls for a reorientation on instruments of border control leading to a more encompassing type of risk management in this field.