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R is a registered trademark. For more information on this publication, visit /t/PE290.Copyright 2018 RAND Corporation Contents Foundations for Developing a Border Management Capability .... 3 Lessons Learned in Border Management11 Building a Comprehensive Border Management Capability ...... 20 Conclusion ........... 25 Notes ........ 26 References ........... 26 About the Authors28 1 N ational borders represent the geographicboundaries of a nation and defne the ter- ritory where governments exercise legaljurisdiction over the structures, actions,and people that reside within the bound- aries. Te termborderis ofen associated with a boundaryestablished to control and, in some cases, to prevent thefow of people, goods, and services into a country. Hence,borders are frequently associated with establishing a secu- rity perimeter for controlling entry into the territory of asovereign nation. Tis Perspective takes a more expansive view of borders,introducing the concept ofborder management , which cre- ates a balance between security and the licit fow of peopleand goods. Tis concept rests on the understanding thata tension exists between the need to prevent undesirablepeople and goods from crossing borders and the economicvitality that a country gains through trade and travel.Building on the concept of border management, thisPerspective proposes opportunities to strengthen securitywhile simultaneously improving the fow of licit travelersand goods through national policies, programs, regula- tions, and activities. Tis Perspective does not attempt to be prescriptive orpertain to any specifc border but rather highlights consid- erations that are relevant in exploring border managementand the activities that occur in border regions. Te balancebetween security and the licit fow of people and goodswill undoubtedly vary depending on the perceived risks,threats, and vulnerabilities in the border area.While increases in information, communication, andtransportation have resulted in growing interconnected- ness, a complementary increase in border activities—thinktrade and travel—has ensued. Over time, defnitions ofborders have expanded to include land border cross- ings, seaports, and airports, as well as the territory thatconnects these entities, such as a country’s land borders,coastline, and airspace.Tree principles should serve to guide eforts to developthe delicate balance inherent in border management. First,2 incorporating security and the licit fow of people andcommerce should be considered for any border manage- ment system. Designing and building border managementinto systems is more efective and efcient when it is fullyincorporated into border activities. Second, an integrated,layered approach to border management should be devel- oped. No single physical structure or operational conceptwill be sufcient; rather, a comprehensive, integratedsystem; planning; appropriate equipment; and trainingand exercises are essential to border management. Finally,a national border management system requires establish- ing unity of efort across all relevant governmental andnongovernmental stakeholders with responsibilities orinterests in what occurs at national borders. While each border is unique and solutions cannot beapplied in a rote manner from one country to the next,commonalities exist that provide insights and lessonslearned that can be factored into a nation’s border man- agement approach. Command, control, and communica- tions that allow for interactions and coordination amongvarious interagency organizations and from the nationalto the local level are imperative to border solutions. Whiletechnology and equipment can be important additionsto any border management system, they are only efec- tive if properly incorporated into planned operationaleforts, if life-cycle support and costs are provided (eitherthrough national resources or partner-nation support),and if cultural sensitivities are considered in their use.Experience also indicates that, in general, border commu- nities must receive due consideration in the developmentof border management systems and are highly sensitive tochanges to policies and regulations at border crossings andports. Tese communities can form important economic,political, and social relationships that must be factoredinto any border management system. Building 21st-century border management requires thedevelopment of specifc capabilities. Table 1 lists specifccapabilities identifed in this Perspective as essential tothis process. Te origin of this Perspective was a study sponsored bythe U.S. Department of State (DoS) to support a partnernation’s eforts to strengthen its border management pos- ture. Te research identifed opportunities for developingpolicies, systems, and programs that could enable the part- ner country to address a range of threats at its borders— land, maritime, and air ports of entry—while facilitatingthe legitimate fow of people and goods that routinelycross borders and contribute to economic vitality.Te fnal report on border management contains sen- sitive security information not suitable for public release.However, many of the fundamentals for efective bordermanagement that our work drew on are releasable and arecontained within this Perspective. Generalizing across all international borders is difcultto do because every country is in some sense unique. Starkcontrasts certainly exist between the international bordersof countries within the European Union, which have fewdelineations as one transits across national boundaries,and the highly militarized borders that exist today on theKorean Peninsula.However, there are enough commonalities amongcountries to ofer some fundamentals that can be incor- porated into structures, organizations, and activities atborders. Tese commonalities serve as the departure pointfor this Perspective and for developing a modern bordermanagement system. We begin by providing foundations,3 a philosophical way to think about borders, and principlesfor border management. Lessons learned from other bor- der management development initiatives provide insightsinto what has worked in the past and potential pitfalls toavoid. Finally, this Perspective provides concepts for build- ing a comprehensive national border system that balancesthe need for security with the need for the movement ofgoods and people across borders. Such a balance is imper- ative for the security and economic vitality of a nationand is what is expected from a professional 21st-centuryborder management system. Foundations for Developing a BorderManagement Capability Borders represent the physical manifestation of a nation’ssovereignty. Nations are responsible for managing theirinternal afairs, which implies that they exercise controlover fows of licit and illicit people and goods into and outof their countries.Border managementis the term used to describe thecontrol exercised at a nation’s borders and includesbordersecurity —preventing unau