E.g., 10/02/2023
E.g., 10/02/2023
Border Security

Border Security

Border Enforcement
Smuggling & Trafficking
Technology & Infrastructure
CBPagent mexborder

In an era when countries are increasingly exposed to the opportunities and risks associated with the rising global movement of people, policymakers are rethinking approaches to border controls and border management. These policies and programs run the gamut—from facilitating legitimate mobility of people and trade to thwarting unauthorized movements, the latter a significant preoccupation in the post-9/11 era and as publics have become ever less accepting of unauthorized immigration. The research offered here examines the management of borders, enforcement policies and initiatives, and border security technologies.

Recent Activity

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Policy Briefs
December 2017
Immigration under Trump: A Review of Policy Shifts in the Year Since the Election
By  Sarah Pierce and Andrew Selee
Migrants on a boat
Articles
December 18, 2017
European Leaders Pursue Migration Deals with North African Countries, Sparking Concerns about Human Costs
By Kate Hooper
Building Partnerships to Respond to the Next Decade’s Migration Challenges
Reports
December 2017
Building Partnerships to Respond to the Next Decade’s Migration Challenges (Transatlantic Council Statement)
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Kate Hooper
EU Migration Partnerships: A Work in Progress
Reports
December 2017
EU Migration Partnerships: A Work in Progress
By  Elizabeth Collett and Aliyyah Ahad
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Reports
November 2017
Beyond Transactional Deals: Building Lasting Migration Partnerships in the Mediterranean
By  Luca Lixi
Trump at a rally in Phoenix.
Articles
October 19, 2017
Will White House Immigration Wish List Tank Emerging DREAMer Momentum in Congress?
By Muzaffar Chishti, Jessica Bolter, and Sarah Pierce
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Multimedia
September 25, 2017
14th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference
Bangladeshi migrant workers
Articles
October 5, 2017
Chasing the Dubai Dream in Italy: Bangladeshi Migration to Europe
By Nayma Qayum

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Feature
May 1, 2006
American Immigration Reform from a Scandinavian Perspective
After watching the immigration reform debate intensify in the last few months, Thor Arne Aaas, Norway's Director General of the Department of Migration and a Visiting Fellow at MPI, characterizes the debate as "unfocused, unstructured, and very emotional." More on his views in this interview with Migration Information Source Editor Kirin Kalia.
Feature
March 1, 2006
Countering Terrorist Mobility

With Congress considering immigration reform, Susan Ginsburg argues that it's time to examine how counterterrorism strategy relates to border security and how terrorist mobility can be hindered.

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Feature
February 1, 2006
From Horseback to High-Tech: U.S. Border Enforcement
Border control has evolved from a low-tech, one-agency exercise focused strictly on the Southwestern border to a far broader concept. MPI's Deborah Waller Meyers provides a detailed look at border-enforcement strategies and policies since the 1980s.
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Feature
July 1, 2005
"One Face at the Border" - Is It Working?
In 2003, the U.S. merged all of its border-related agencies to create a unified border inspection process. MPI's Deborah Meyers reports on the positive and negative effects of the merger to date.
Feature
July 1, 2005
Trafficking in Women from Nigeria to Europe

In search of a better life, thousands of Nigerian women have signed emigration "pacts" with smugglers before going to Europe, where they are coerced into prostitution. Jørgen Carling of the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo explains.

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Recent Activity

Policy Briefs
December 2017

Immigration under Trump: A Review of Policy Shifts in the Year Since the Election

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump made immigration the centerpiece of his campaign, offering a more detailed policy agenda than on any other issue. In the year since the election that propelled the Republican into the White House, how has the Trump administration’s record matched up with the rhetoric? This policy brief examines the executive orders and other changes to existing policy and practice made during 2017.

Articles
December 18, 2017

European Leaders Pursue Migration Deals with North African Countries, Sparking Concerns about Human Costs

European leaders in 2017 pursued migration partnerships with North African countries, seeking to stem maritime arrivals across the Mediterranean. Italy struck a deal with Libya to provide support in cracking down on illegal migration and smugglers, while Germany signed cooperation agreements with Egypt and Tunisia. Meanwhile, widespread reports of migrant abuse in Libya are prompting questions about the limitations and human costs of these partnerships.

Reports
December 2017

Building Partnerships to Respond to the Next Decade’s Migration Challenges (Transatlantic Council Statement)

As destination countries look for ways to better manage migration, many are seeking to build or strengthen collaboration with origin and transit countries. While many partnerships share similar goals—limiting arrivals, returning unauthorized migrants, and addressing migration’s root causes—their outcomes vary. This Transatlantic Council Statement examines the factors behind these mixed results and offers recommendations to make partnerships succeed.

Reports
December 2017

EU Migration Partnerships: A Work in Progress

In 2016, the European Union announced with fanfare a new Migration Partnership Framework to inform cooperation with countries of origin and transit. While the bloc has long recognized collaboration as key to achieving its migration-management aims, EU partnerships face persistent challenges, including looking beyond short-term enforcement goals and taking into account partner needs, capacity, and objectives.

Reports
November 2017

Beyond Transactional Deals: Building Lasting Migration Partnerships in the Mediterranean

Since the 2015–16 refugee crisis, European policymakers have eagerly sought cooperation with origin and transit countries in the hopes of stemming unauthorized migration to Europe. This approach is neither new, nor without its limitations. By examining the evolution of two longstanding Mediterranean partnerships—between Spain and Morocco, and Italy and Tunisia—this report offers insights on what has and has not worked.

Articles
October 19, 2017

Will White House Immigration Wish List Tank Emerging DREAMer Momentum in Congress?

The Trump administration has released a list of hardline immigration demands—including border wall funding, restrictions on federal grants to “sanctuary” cities, and cuts to legal immigration—in exchange for legislation protecting DREAMers. This article examines the prospects for these proposals and more broadly for a legislative fix to resolve the status of unauthorized immigrants brought to the United States as children.

Video, Audio
September 25, 2017

14th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference

In a year when immigration has been prominent in the headlines, the 14th annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference provides timely policy and legal analysis, with expert discussion covering the shifting immigration policy priorities under a new administration, including changes in immigration enforcement, border enforcement, refugee resettlement, the treatment of unaccompanied minors and their families, Temporary Protected Status, and DACA, along with the responses from the judicial and congressional branches, various stakeholders, and state and local governments. 

Articles
October 5, 2017

Chasing the Dubai Dream in Italy: Bangladeshi Migration to Europe

Bangladeshis in 2017 suddenly emerged as one of the top migrant groups entering Europe illegally. While Europe is a new destination, Bangladeshi labor migration has been an important part of the country's development since the 1970s, with growing numbers heading abroad, largely to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. This article explores and contextualizes the new phenomenon of Bangladeshi migration to Europe.

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