E.g., 04/17/2024
E.g., 04/17/2024
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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Commentaries
January 2018
Borderline Irrelevant: Why Reforming the Dublin Regulation Misses the Point
By  Elizabeth Collett
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Reports
January 2018
Trump’s First Year on Immigration Policy: Rhetoric vs. Reality
By  Sarah Pierce, Jessica Bolter and Andrew Selee
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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

Pages

Feature
March 1, 2005
Biometrics, Migrants, and Human Rights

Rebekah Alys Lowri Thomas of the Global Commission on International Migration examines how the use of biometrics at borders may violate migrants' privacy rights.

Feature
July 1, 2004
Reining in Child Trafficking in the New EU
Lisa Kurbiel of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations takes an in-depth look at new initiatives to stop child trafficking in the European Union.
Feature
May 1, 2004
Evaluating Enhanced U.S. Border Enforcement

Wayne Cornelius of the University of California at San Diego assesses the U.S. strategy for the border with Mexico.

Feature
November 1, 2003
Australia Unveils Initiative to Stop Human Trafficking
Christine Inglis examines the Australian government's new four-year, $20 million initiative to fight human trafficking, particularly of women.
Feature
August 1, 2003
Security at U.S. Borders: A Move Away from Unilateralism?
MPI Policy Analyst Deborah Waller Meyers examines the Smart Border agreements signed by the U.S. with Canada and Mexico in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

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Recent Activity

Commentaries
January 2018

Borderline Irrelevant: Why Reforming the Dublin Regulation Misses the Point

European policymakers are fixated on reform of the Dublin Regulation, the contentious rules that carve up responsibility for asylum claims between EU states. They see it not only as a long-term prophylactic against future fluctuations in irregular migration, but as a marker of the success or failure of solidarity in Europe overall. Yet rather than doggedly working to salvage Dublin, policymakers need to stop and consider why they regard it as so integral to European cooperation, as this commentary explores.

Reports
January 2018

Trump’s First Year on Immigration Policy: Rhetoric vs. Reality

Looking back after one year in office, it is striking how just closely the Trump administration’s actions on immigration have hewed to priorities Donald Trump outlined in an uncommonly detailed policy speech in August 2016. This report revisits those pledges to assess where the administration has made the most and least headway, and what its policy agenda ahead might look like.

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.

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