Border control

Border control

Border control is the set of rules and checks that governments use to watch over and manage how people, animals, and goods move across borders. These borders can be between countries, like the line between Bhutan and India, or even inside one country, like between different states or regions.

The main reasons for border control are to follow rules about trade, health, and safety, and to control who can move into or out of a country. Some borders, like those inside the Schengen Area, have no checks at all, while others need special passes or documents to cross safely at certain points.

Today, border control uses many papers, tickets called visas, and different rules in each country, making travel more planned and careful. However, these controls can also cost a lot of money and make it hard for people to move freely.

History

In old Europe, the lines between countries were often just symbols or wild lands. Real borders were the walls around towns and cities, where guards could stop unwanted people.

The idea of border controls began long ago. In Asia, old writings talk about special passes people needed to enter or leave a country. China also used early forms of passports, with details about the person. Even children sometimes needed these papers to travel.

Medieval period

During a busy time in the history of Islam, a kind of passport called the bara’a was used. It was a receipt showing taxes were paid, allowing people to travel freely. In Europe, passports began being used in England to help people show who they were when traveling to other places.

Modern history

One of the first times countries tried to control who could enter was in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Some places like Canada, Australia, and America made rules to limit people from certain parts of Asia from coming in. These rules were unfair and caused problems for many people.

Before the 1900s, many places didn’t have strict border rules. But after World War I, most countries started using them more often. After countries gained independence, some made new rules that caused problems for people from different backgrounds.

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led many countries to tighten their border rules. They made it hard for people to enter if they came from places with lots of sickness, or sometimes stopped everyone from traveling. These rules helped slow the spread of the virus but also hurt businesses that depend on travel and kept families apart. Even after the rules end, some people might choose to meet online instead of traveling.

Tactics

Border control policies are different in every country because each country has its own needs and priorities.

Air and maritime borders

Countries also control the air above them and the waters around them. These rules decide who and what can enter their airspace and waters, including areas with important resources like fish or oil.

Under international law, countries have different levels of control over their waters:

• Internal waters: These are waters inside a country's borders, like lakes and rivers, where the country has full control.
• Territorial sea: This is a band of coastal waters up to about 22 kilometers from the shore, part of the country's territory. Countries can patrol these waters but must allow innocent passage for foreign ships and aircraft.
• Contiguous zone: This is a band of water up to 44 kilometers from the shore where countries can enforce laws about customs, taxes, and health.
• Exclusive economic zone: This extends up to 370 kilometers from the shore, where countries control resources like fishing and oil but must allow passage for foreign ships and aircraft.

Ships and planes that do not follow a country's rules can face consequences. Countries also decide who can fly their flags or operate in their airspace and waters, especially for carrying passengers or goods.

Biosecurity

Biosecurity stops harmful organisms, like diseases, from spreading to animals and plants. This helps protect food crops, livestock, and people. Countries may require animals to be vaccinated or quarantined and have rules about bringing in plants or animals.

During events like the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries added health checks and required vaccinations for travelers.

Customs

Each country has its own rules about what goods can be brought in or out, enforced by customs officers. These rules can include taxes on goods, called tariffs, and stopping illegal items. Some countries have special areas for goods waiting to be checked, called customs areas.

Countries also protect their plants and animals from pests and diseases by checking goods from other countries. For example, Australia has strict rules about bringing in food and wooden products.

Border security

Border security means the steps countries take to enforce their rules about who and what can cross their borders. This can include building walls, using patrols, and setting up checkpoints. Different countries focus on different issues, like stopping illegal travel or trade.

For example, India focuses on its borders with Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Myanmar, while the United States focuses on its border with Mexico. Some borders, like the one between the United States and Canada, are longer and less guarded, using cameras and sensors instead of walls.

Border walls

Walls along borders are used to stop people from crossing without permission. For example, India is building a fence along its border with Bangladesh, and there have been proposals for walls between the United States and Mexico. In Europe, countries like Hungary and Saudi Arabia have built walls to control movement of people and goods. Botswana has an electric fence along its border with Zimbabwe to stop diseases and unauthorized entries.

Border checkpoints

Border checkpoints are places where people and goods are checked when they cross borders. These can be at airports, seaports, or land crossings. Checkpoints help stop unwanted people and goods from entering a country and collect taxes. For example, the Sultan Iskandar Building in Malaysia and Woodlands Checkpoint in Singapore handle many travelers every day.

Border zones

Border zones are areas near borders with special rules. Countries can restrict who can enter these zones and what people can do there. These zones help stop people from crossing borders without permission. Examples include the border zone between Russia and Finland and the area around the Guantanamo Bay base in Cuba.

Immigration law

Immigration law are the rules that decide who can enter and stay in a country. These laws can change based on the country's policies and agreements with other countries. Countries also have rules about how long people can stay, what they can do, and how they can become citizens.

Immigration policies

Diaspora communities

Some countries have special rules for people from certain backgrounds. For example, India allows citizens of Indian origin to live and work there under a special status. The United Kingdom has similar rules for people of British ancestry. Poland has a card for people of Polish descent living abroad, and Israel allows people of Jewish ancestry to move there.

Open borders

Open borders mean fewer rules about who can move between countries. Some areas, like Europe under the Schengen Agreement, have open borders, allowing people to travel freely between member countries. Other examples include the arrangement between India and Nepal, where citizens can move freely between the two countries. Similarly, Australia and New Zealand allow each other's citizens to live and work in either country.

Internal border controls

Main article: Internal border control

Further information: Travel document § Internal travel documents

Internal border controls are ways that countries manage how people and goods move inside their own borders. These controls can include checkpoints and special travel papers. They are used for many reasons, such as keeping areas near borders safe, protecting special regions, or helping different groups get along.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many places around the world put in temporary rules to stop people from moving between areas. For example, some parts of Australia and Malaysia had limits on travel inside the country to help stop the spread of the virus.

Specific requirements

The rules for checking people at borders change depending on the country. Some countries look at where a traveller comes from or where they have visited. Others check if travellers have paid for the right to visit, called a visa, and have plans to leave later. Some countries check what is in travellers' bags to make sure nothing harmful is brought in.

Biometrics

See also: Biometric identification by country

Many countries ask travellers to have their fingerprints taken when they arrive. Some might do this for people just passing through to another country. Countries often take a photo of people entering. The United States plans to use facial recognition to check people leaving from airports. Fingerprint, face, and iris scanning are ways to identify people and have been used since 2006. The United Arab Emirates uses iris scanning for visitors who need a visa. The United States also plans to collect more biometric data at its borders. Singapore started trying out iris scanning at some border points in 2018.

Immigration stamps

Main article: Passport stamp

An immigration stamp is a mark put in a passport or travel document when someone enters or leaves a country. The stamp can show that the person has permission to enter. In some countries, the stamp shows the permission given to enter. In the Schengen Area, a stamp just shows the date and does not say how long someone can stay. Some countries do not stamp passports at all for certain travellers. For example, citizens of the European Union travelling within the European Union do not get stamps. Some countries only stamp when people leave, and some do not stamp at all, using other papers instead.

Immigration offices often use different stamp designs for entering and leaving to help track people's movements. The colour of the ink might show how a person is travelling (by air, land, or sea). Some places change the size of the stamp to show how long someone can stay. Passengers on cruise ships often do not get stamps because the whole ship is cleared to enter the port. Sometimes, travellers can ask for a stamp as a souvenir.

Exit controls

India and China, like most countries, check people both when they enter and when they leave. However, some countries do not check when people leave by land. For example, the United States and Canada do not check when people leave by land; they collect this information from airlines and share it with neighboring countries. Australia, Singapore, and South Korea also no longer stamp passports when people leave, though they still have some checks.

Countries without exit stamps include the United States, Canada, Mexico, The Bahamas, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Countries that have exit checks but do not always stamp passports include Albania, Australia, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Fiji, Hong Kong, Iran, Israel, Japan, Macau, New Zealand, South Korea, Panama, Taiwan, Singapore, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and countries in the Schengen Area.

Exit permits

Some countries need people to get special permission, called an exit permit, before they can leave the country. For example, Uzbekistan needs its citizens to have exit visas to leave for certain places. Some countries in the Middle East need foreign workers to have exit visas under a sponsorship system. During a certain time, countries in the Eastern Bloc needed permission to travel abroad. Singapore needs its citizens to have exit permits to follow national service rules. South Korea and Taiwan have similar rules. India needs some citizens to get approval before leaving the country. Eritrea needs most of its citizens to get special permission to leave the country.

Travel documents

Main article: Travel document

Countries usually need travellers to show proper travel papers to prove who they are, where they come from, and if they are allowed to enter. The most common travel paper is a passport. Some places let people use identity cards instead.

Visas

Main article: Travel visa

A visa is a paper that lets foreign visitors enter a country. It is usually a sticker or stamp in a passport. Visas can have rules about how long someone can stay, where they can go, when they can enter, how many times they can visit, or if they can work. Many countries in Asia have made it easier to get visas to help business and tourism. For example, India, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka now have electronic visas. Malaysia has made it easier for people from India and China to visit. Thailand often lets visitors get a visa when they arrive. Indonesia has also made it easier for many visitors to get visas. Singapore has agreements with many countries to make it easier for people to visit.

Some countries in Europe and the Americas give special visas to young people who want to work and travel. Saudi Arabia gives a special visa for religious visits. Some countries need special visas for journalists.

Because of changes after a certain event, some countries have special rules for people travelling between certain places. For example, Russia lets people travel between two places without a visa if they do not stop. The Schengen Area has special travel papers for people going between Kaliningrad and the rest of Russia.

Many countries let people use visas from other countries to enter. The Philippines lets people from India and China use certain visas to enter. South Korea lets people in transit use visas from certain countries to stay for a short time. Bermuda does not give its own visas; people need a visa from Canada, the United States, or the United Kingdom to enter.

Electronic visas and electronic travel authorisations

Main article: Electronic visa

Starting in the 2000s, many countries started using electronic visas and travel authorisations instead of paper visas. An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is a form of registration before a trip. An e-visa is a visa that people can apply for online without going to a government's office. Some countries need certain travellers to have an ETA or e-visa to enter.

Nationality and travel history

Some countries do not let people from certain places enter. For example, Georgia will not let people with passports from the Republic of China enter. Some countries ban people from certain places from entering parts of Libya. Many Arab countries, Iran, and Malaysia do not let Israeli citizens enter, though Malaysia sometimes allows it with special approval. Some countries will not let people enter if their passports show travel to certain places.

Between a certain time, the United States did not give new visas to people from Iran, North Korea, Libya, Somalia, Syria, or Yemen. This rule was later changed.

Prescreening

Some countries check travellers before they arrive to make things easier when they get there. This helps prevent problems and reduce crowding at border points.

• Hong Kong and mainland China: There are two border crossings where both Hong Kong and China do their checks at the same place.

• Singapore and Malaysia: Singapore and Malaysia have a train station where both countries do their checks before the train crosses the border.

• Malaysia and Thailand: A railway station in Malaysia has checks for both Malaysia and Thailand.

• United Kingdom and the Schengen Area: The United Kingdom and the Schengen Area have special checks for people travelling by ferry or train.

• United States: The United States has places in other countries where people go through U.S. checks before they board their plane or ship to the United States.

• Informal prescreening: Sometimes, private companies check travellers' papers before they board a plane or boat, following laws from another country. Airlines often check passports and visas before letting people board. Some passenger boats also do this check before boarding.

Expedited border controls

See also: Automated border control system

Some countries and groups of countries have special programs to help people who travel often or are considered low-risk. These programs make border checks faster and easier. In some places, citizens or residents can use special machines instead of talking to a person. Here are some of these programs:

• APEC Business Travel Card: This card helps business travelers from certain countries. It makes border checks faster, though it does not always give freedom from visa rules.
• SmartGates in Australia: These machines at airports check passports quickly using facial recognition. Travelers need a special passport to use them.
• ePassport gates in the UK and Ireland: These gates use facial recognition to check travelers' identities. People from certain countries can use them if they have a special passport.
• CARIPASS: This is a travel card for people from Caribbean countries. It helps make border crossings easier and faster.
• China: Residents can use special channels after registering. People from Hong Kong and Macau can use special documents to travel.
• Japan: Automated gates at airports let travelers use machines instead of talking to an officer.
• Mexico: Viajero Confiable lets members use quick customs and immigration checks using machines.
• New Zealand: SmartGate systems at airports help travelers with special passports check out faster.
• Singapore: The eIACS system helps citizens and residents clear borders more quickly.
• South Korea: The Smart Entry Service lets people aged 7 and above use quick border checks.
• Taiwan: An automated system called eGate helps residents and frequent visitors.
• Thailand: An automated system has been used since 2012. It started with Thai people and later included some foreigners.
• North America:
  • Global Entry in the United States: This program helps frequent travelers use machines to clear border checks faster.
  • CANPASS in Canada: This helps citizens and residents entering Canada on private or company planes.
  • NEXUS and FAST: These are programs for travelers between Canada and the United States, making border checks faster.
  • SENTRI: This program helps people traveling between the United States and Mexico, including using machines at airports.

Border control organisations by country

Main article: List of Border control organisations

Countries have special groups that help watch their borders. These groups check people who enter the country, make sure rules about goods are followed, and keep animals and plants safe. Different countries may call these groups different names and organize them in different ways, sometimes using more than one group to do the job.

Controversies

Some countries have rules about who can enter or leave that have caused disagreement. People have different ideas about whether these rules are fair or not.

• Australia: In 2001, Australia made new rules about who can enter the country, especially people arriving by boat. These rules have been talked about a lot.
• Bhutan: In the 1990s, Bhutan changed its rules about who could live there. This caused problems for many people.
• China: China has rules about people trying to leave North Korea. If caught, they are sent back.
• Cyprus: There is a disagreement about which part of Cyprus is in charge. Because of this, one part has put rules on the other part’s airports.
• Israel: At Israeli airports, security checks sometimes treat people differently, which has caused concern.
• United States: After September 11, 2001, the United States added extra security measures. These included treating people differently based on their background. This caused disagreement and was later changed.

Effects

Border controls cost a lot of money. In the United States, they cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

When rules make it hard for people to move between countries safely, some try dangerous ways to cross. This can be risky for travelers. Making it harder to cross borders can also lead people to stay in a country longer than allowed.