{"id":24585,"date":"2016-02-10T14:30:41","date_gmt":"2016-02-10T03:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=24585"},"modified":"2016-02-10T14:32:52","modified_gmt":"2016-02-10T03:32:52","slug":"you-say-you-want-a-revolution-in-border-security-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/you-say-you-want-a-revolution-in-border-security-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"You say you want a revolution (in border security strategy)"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>Reductionism abounds in public policy debates on border security. So discussions of<\/span> innovation<\/span><\/a> are often limited to debates on<\/span> new walls<\/span><\/a> or<\/span> biometric advances<\/span><\/a>, not strategy. Unsurprisingly, industry representatives in this reflexive paradigm present arguments that some<\/span> new wall<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> biometric<\/span><\/a> concept or<\/span> surveillance platform<\/span><\/a> will \u2018fix\u2019 or ameliorate the border security problem: but those products don\u2019t make a strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n Naturally, border security measures vary greatly from country to country. You could rightly argue, at least conceptually, that border security is timeless, and agencies look at each transaction and\/or person to confirm their risk or threat.<\/span><\/p>\n Border security philosophies and strategies have had a one dimensional focus on keeping things and people from entering one\u2019s borders. To see that defensive paradigm in practice, one only has to look at America\u2019s<\/span> current debates<\/span><\/a> on<\/span> building better and bigger walls<\/span><\/a> with its southern neighbour Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n But<\/span> border transactions are already so frequent<\/span><\/a> that simplistic responses\u2014such as opening a few extra migration desks at the airport, buying a new x-ray machine for goods or building a new wall\u2014simply don\u2019t cut it. To manage border security risks bureaucrats need new strategies more than new technology, better barriers or more staff.<\/span><\/p>\n Thankfully, it\u2019s not all bad news for border security policy, as public service leaders awaken to the reality that it\u2019s a nation\u2019s border security philosophy and<\/span> strategy<\/span><\/a> that will improve border security.<\/span><\/p>\n Border security\u2019s operating context is changing dramatically. And, like<\/span> military affairs<\/span><\/a> since the 1970s, border security strategy and policy may just be on the precipice of a revolution.<\/span><\/p>\n From the birth of the nation state, border security practice has primarily been concerned with<\/span> enforcing sovereignty<\/span><\/a>\u2014a border was simply the physical location where entry or exit could be controlled.<\/span><\/p>\n Not much changed until the 1990s when there was a shifting western policy focus on deregulation and opening border flows, in order to support internationally integrated value chains and global logistic frameworks.<\/span><\/p>\n