Pakistan faces border issues with Afghanistan and, to some extent, with Iran. Peaceful and secure borders between nations can ensure uninterrupted connectivity and trade that could lead to security and development. For countries with poorly and ill-defined borders, such as Afghanistan, there is a need to employ workable technologies for border management and control, e.g., with the advent of information technologies, sensors, satellites, and monitoring devices borders can be managed and controlled in a better way.
Borders define the limits of a nation state and exercise of sovereignty. Most of the borders, especially in developing world are poorly delineated and controlled due to colonial creations, lack of capacity for management or poor writ exercised by levies and border police. Moreover, border areas are generally in a state of limbo and woefully lack developmental infrastructure.
With onset of globalization, there has emerged the concept of "borderless' world where human traffic, goods and material crisscross. Where countries have porous and open nature of borders, illegal smuggling of people and goods and contraband goods, terrorists and illegal migration often takes place. Borders act as 'filters" or "sieves" against such activities. But, still most of the contraband traffic takes place by sea and land.
What role can these newly emerging information technologies play in protection of borders at land, sea and air? Indubitably, with remarkable growth and new advances in digitization and globalization, these technologies can be effectively utilized to monitor and control movement of goods across unguarded/undefended land and maritime borders of many countries.
'Borders' and 'management' are frequently mentioned while dealing with border issues. Related to these are terms such as 'border areas', 'frontiers' and 'security'. The key word 'management' is like organizing by: division of labour of various departments, formal lines of authority and the mechanisms in coordinating diverse functions and roles. It is, in other words, sharing vital intelligence, ensuring tighter co-ordination and perfecting foolproof techniques of immigration and customs checks.
Is 'management' a science or an art? The debate goes on but it is a process used to accomplish organizational goals, be it in factory, office, organisation, school, business, or any other outfit. In classical security concept, mandatory tasks are assigned to armed forces, immigration, port, health, customs, police, security forces, plant and animal quarantine and others.
'Border management' is closely linked to border security. By security it means how best to counter threats that have arisen or are likely to occur in future. In order to attain security, it requires mounting some measures and counter-measures that will make borders relatively safe and secure them from different kinds of threats: both conventional and non-conventional.
All nations perceive some threats from within which fall under the rubric of non-traditional security, i.e., economic, climate change, poverty, terrorism, water and energy, while others which emanate from cross-border movement in the form of transfer of illegal contraband and people.
In today's crime-prone environment, it is virtually impossible to operate independently where loose and fluid network structures have replaced coherent, single crime entities. By relying on own resources and membership these syndicates are geographically based, involve specialized networking and perform specified functions. Thus, it has become a chain operation with many partners for maintaining secrecy, flexibility and profit.
Ironically, once the security forces have dismantled these networks, new ones tend to be created. With dissemination of knowledge and globalization, ingenious ways are being continuously devised by some crime syndicates and terrorist groups who are engaged in the sale and smuggling of related technologies. The smuggling operators have become agile, flexible and savvy in beating the passport, banking, and customs regulations. So, in order to remain a step ahead for governments there is a greater need in framing adequate policy measures.
Out of the three transportation modes, i.e., land, air and sea - the cheapest is the land route which involves less documentation and minimum security except the open unguarded routes that are easily crossable with impunity. On the other hand, the air route tends to be more expensive and has higher security risks; lastly, the sea route tends to be more dangerous but enjoys some advantages, too, as it can transport large volume of materials through trade and commerce.
Policy recommendations mostly tend to be idealistic in nature and need to be customized to local capabilities and conditions. Despite what 'must,' 'should' and 'ought' to be done, ultimately, the devil lies in finer details and stringent implementation. Long, medium and short-term measures are needed. Some of these suggestions may herein be overlapping but the idea is to raise the level of general consciousness about border control. - National measures in addition to the UN regulations, have to be incorporated into national legislation with due sensitivity to rule of law, human rights, counter-proliferation, poverty and good governance.
-- Border agreements with states and stakeholders can secure borders with neighbours. Extradition pacts and anti-terrorist pacts can be useful.
-- Exchange of information, intelligence, joint training and capacity building should be part of border agreements.
- Reforming structures and approaches to personnel management will necessitate formation of an effective personnel selection and management system, which will include clear definitions of appropriate functional duties and delegation of authority. Further, it will also strengthen border security by allowing for effective operational planning and accomplishment of border control by defining unambiguous procedures for checking individuals and materials at international airports and other checkpoints. Practical training of checkpoint officers in border protection, including passport control techniques as well as procedures and techniques for fighting terrorism, drug trafficking, and smuggling of materials is necessary.
-- Inter-agency co-ordination is essential as there is an abiding fear that containers containing nuclear technologies/materials may also follow suit. Strict measures are needed to check trade and commerce on sea and land in order to protect security and supply chain of goods and material. It is important therefore to inform the public for provision of funds by explaining the nature of the threat. However, all these methods could not still prevent a determined terrorist from launching a one-time attack through trusted shipping companies and disrupting inter-modal system. In fact, terrorism's new mode of operation is to disrupt communication chain and damage the world economy.
-- For sea inspections, third parties could install radioactive portals at different ports where all incoming and ongoing cargo is inspected. This could create more checks at different points, save insurance cost in case of mishap, fix responsibility and prevent interruption of the supply chain. Moreover, proper methodologies should be worked out so that expeditious inspection and passage of personnel, items and goods takes place. In other words, for an easy flow of goods, services and people, economic security procedures must not lead to logjams, blocks and delays on land as well seaports.
-- Enhancing security and privacy of people is essential. At land borders and ports, speedy and effective clearance should be carried out. Standard drills/procedures could make items to be cleared smoothly. This can come about with intelligence-driven operation, knowledge-sharing culture, and proactive decision-making.
-- Normal procedures should not get disrupted by abnormal or crisis events. 'Profiling out' reduces delay and focuses only on trouble spots. The top priority cases need to be investigated through laid out procedures for quick disposal. Time for movement of goods and personnel should not be delayed as it is essential for economies of the countries. Procedures and security protocols should be friendly but foolproof especially to protect unregulated and porous borders as in northwestern Pak-Afghan border.
-- Joint patrols should be duly equipped, as a minimum, with pair of binoculars, radio set and night vision devices for night patrols. Given the vast expanse of territory and lack of formal road networks in many border regions, especially Afghanistan, there is an urgent need for enhanced mobility in border service. Border patrols currently lack mobility; these could be ensured by employing modern cross-country vehicles as well air interception, observation and mobility assets, preferably use of helicopters. Helicopter support, if possible, should be provided either by armed forces or by other government organisations under terms of support agreement signed by relevant ministries or by procurement for the border forces.
-- Control posts should be equipped with stationary searchlights and hand-held detectors for detection of narcotics, explosives, WMD components and materials. Sophisticated detection devices such as infrared and/or thermal cameras are urgently required for border posts on major routes.
-- Fixed-site surveillance systems with mobile surveillance and interception capabilities is needed since it is impossible to plant people everywhere along a porous border. Necessary response time can be achieved by installing the right surveillance equipment in the border area.
-- Redesigning facilities and infrastructure in border areas will enhance the writ of the state and provide employment for people; for this, services of private sector could be utilized. Also, construction zones in border areas could reduce incentives for smuggling. As governments cannot provide enough manpower and resources, volunteer corps and vigilante services with incentives could be created.
-- Capacity-building and advanced training are essential for border/maritime coastal service personnel in order to carry out effective monitoring and control. Individual members of border service personnel will need to undergo training in use of modern equipment and familiarization with latest smuggling methods and techniques. But optimization of use of available resources require skilled personnel, training in modern operational planning and management of human, financial, and material resources.
-- Professional training and pay structure might prevent border guards, customs or police from getting easily bribed, especially in developing countries.
All said and done, even the best of technologies, procedures and protocols can be circumvented by some sophisticated criminal elements by employing better technologies. In this regard, radiation detection devices, in the words of an analyst, are "brilliantly engineered but fatally flawed" insofar as they can be defeated by bribing operators.
Conventional methods of human intelligence, viz., police, vigilante groups, informers, surveillance and undercover agents can be useful in the border areas. Development of infrastructure in border areas will provide employment and stake to the people. The role of motivated, skilled and experience border management teams that work in synergy with police, customs and technical staff is therefore essential.
In short, as cited above multi-pronged and wide-ranging reforms are a sine qua non for effective border management and control; these will, in the ultimate analysis, require political will, time, rigorous training, capacity building and financial investment.
Experts, by and large, concur that the present nation-state system despite many erosions and challenges to sovereignty will most likely endure for many decades as a viable unit for lack of alternative. But many states in future, which are micro and mini or small island states with narrow geographical width could become increasingly vulnerable to the onslaughts of climate change, i.e., refugees, famines and other deleterious effects of globalization.
In that case, it is direly important to nationally "push their borders out" or "export their borders" by "creating control at a distance"; this can be done by utilizing optimum use of cyber technologies as security multipliers to ward off impending national threats.
So, in the age of exploding digitization new technologies can be adopted by 'technologizing' and attaining robust control and management in a bid to maintain safe, free borders and, ipso facto, national security in an increasingly Hobbesian world.
(The writer is visiting faculty in Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad)