MPI-EUI Security Research
Border management and the issue of illegal immigration have become top priorities on both sides of the Atlantic, as have the challenges of unauthorized access to EU and U.S. labor markets. However, these priorities must remain respectful of individual rights and freedoms, and must preserve high ethical standards.
Migration Policy Institute Research
Emerging Transatlantic Security Dilemmas in Border Management
The sheer volume of global travel, which has risen exponentially since the 1960s, puts border management systems under constant pressure. Beyond that growth, border management systems have had to contend with additional risks associated with these movements. Mass-casualty terrorist attacks, rising illegal immigration, and human trafficking have exposed weaknesses in states’ ability to manage their borders effectively. This policy memo examines the infrastructure and policy developments—and challenges—that have occurred in recent years on both sides of the Atlantic, discussing the differing nature and prioritization of those policy challenges.
This report details the post-9/11 programs and agreements implemented by U.S. and European governments to identify terrorists and serious transnational criminals through the collection and processing of increasing quantities of traveler data. The report analyzes how governments, which once focused their screening primarily on a traveler’s nationality (“sorting countries”), increasingly are examining personal characteristics (“sorting individuals”).
The Evolution of Border Controls as a Mechanism to Prevent Illegal Immigration
This paper analyzes how the challenges in achieving effective U.S. border control have increased dramatically within recent decades and particularly since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The author examines the programmatic and funding responses U.S. policymakers have put in place—including the Secure Border Initiative, the Visa Waiver Program, US-VISIT, and registered-traveler programs—and traces their evolution and effectiveness.
EUI Research