Background to Borders
Borders are complex environments with competing interests. How can nation states facilitate international trade while also tackle smuggling of people and goods? Borders also represent opportunities for governments looking to facilitate international trade and improve national security, as well as opportunities to counter terrorism and collect large amounts of actionable data.
How to deal with the often-competing challenges of facilitating movement and trade while also providing security? Rapid advances in technology allow governments to adjust old policies and give them the opportunity to design new ones to better tackle these challenges, even in remote regions. As pressure on budgets grow so do expectations for facilitation of trade and public expectation that security threats will be tackled. Most travellers do not accept that their convenience will be diminished and instead assume technology to be used to hasten their journey through the border. They want technological, as opposed to physical barriers along lengthy and often remote and arduous border regions.
This article will largely concentrate on land borders but the challenges along maritime borders are just as evident. The English Channel is a very good example of a difficult border to safely and securely deal with migrants, as well as coastal states in newer nations who are also having to cope with economic migrants from countries with relatively lower economic prospects.
Since the mid 1980s there has been a coordinated approach to border management to facilitate trade and increase security. This intent has largely remained the same. Not surprisingly, technology is increasingly being utilised in border management and security at major crossings. An example would be the use of algorithms to avoid having to physically inspect as many shipments as possible; governments routinely accept that only a small number of container shipments can be inspected and therefore accept that there is a trade-off between security and expediting the process and revenue. Now companies such as Publican Trade Solutions are using automated digital shipment vetted platforms with the ability to determine risk levels while providing comprehensive and accurate insights on all entities involved in the shipment. They claim that their digital tools can satisfy 100% digital inspection of all consignments in under 11 seconds.
Biometrics are also used to facilitate movement over a border and reduce the number of fake documents that can be used effectively. Hard biometrics such as fingerprint or facial have long been used on busy international borders – at ports and airports – but because of a number of factors – cost, communications, technology, compute, etc – have limited the use of technology on remote borders meaning they have consequently been a potential area of weakness. But with advances in all these areas, it is now possible to establish proper biometric collection along remote and traditionally porous borders.
Technological advances
Nations have long been progressively strengthening their capacity to identify, screen and effectively deal with people crossing their major borders such as at airports and major ports. They can also collect reliable and accurate information at borders with better technical solutions. There are now also rapid advances in artificial intelligence, better access to ‘more compute’ at data centres located in smaller and less developed countries, faster and cheaper communication and ‘green’ energy, or more efficient machines and buildings.
All of these technological advances are making it possible for remote locations, in some of the most difficult and porous border locations, to have access to the same level of information as at a major international border. When these technologies are correctly integrated, the result is that people security is improved at all levels: domestic, bilateral and internationally. However, this collaboration also presents challenges, for example technological and legal challenges to do with data collection, storage and sharing requires improved trust between states to deliver benefits to citizens and travellers. This is sometimes harder to achieve, and illicit groups such as smugglers and terrorists can and will exploit these difficulties.
Identity Management through the use of official documents augmented by biometric checks linked to national and international watchlists has been a ‘step change’ when identifying the use of false or fraudulent travel documents. Previously, frontline border officials needed to be adept in how to recognise imposters, signs of tampering and false travel documents, but using biometric checks it becomes increasingly difficult for a traveller to pose as someone with a different identity.
A technology driven approach to border management allows governments to collect, process, store and analyse information on controlled and uncontrolled migration, allowing a strong data led picture of cross border movements to be created. This allows intelligence led, targeted operations to drive efficiencies and reduce smuggling of people and goods and improve security. This helps drive strategic migration policy and better target scarce government resources. Deploying effective technology to improve border security also drives connectivity with international organisations and watchlists, for example with INTERPOL, and it becomes possible to identify suspect persons and documents well before point of entry and therefore take action as necessary.
West Africa
In March 2023, the United States Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations released a 10-year strategic plan to bolster stability and prevent conflict across Coastal West Africa (CWA). The report notes growing concerns for CWA countries based on their proximity to the central Sahel region, which “experienced more terrorist attacks than any other part of the world in 2021, with terrorist activity increasingly expanding across borders in neighbouring CWA countries”. The report also noted the impact of this activity on historically disadvantaged border areas and its broader impact on democratic institutions across the region. It closes with a commitment from the United States about, “expanding partnerships in West Africa to prevent violent conflicts from emerging or further spreading across the region.”
The answer to this complex problem set did not, for a host of reasons, rely on large infrastructure and military led campaigns, but in the completion of an integrated data-led border surveillance network. Improved intelligence collection and dissemination will help to secure otherwise porous and poorly delineated borders and limit the spread of violent conflicts, while also laying the groundwork for the gathering of critical intelligence on the movement of people across borders.
Government
Strategic initiatives – such as a programme to improve security by implementing a civilian-led, multi-agency approach – avoid escalation by focussing on prevention and improving government and security force responsiveness through improved data and intelligence gathering, rather than on an overly securitized approach involving further militarization of border regions.
Border controls in complex, post conflict or poorer nations have historically been limited: legal crossing points are widely dispersed and most lacked infrastructure (power, security, data access) with paper documentary checks only on a small proportion of permitted crossing points. This has restricted the ability of the government to: (i) track and control who is coming through the border to counter terrorism and reduce smuggling & tracking, (ii) reduce or eliminate illegal migration, (iii) prevent individuals or armed groups from crossing the border.
An integrated data-led programme can become a key enabler within a government strategy, particularly for potential donor governments looking for better value for money and for poorer nations with limited national budgets. A cost-effective, modular system built in partnership between governments, international commercial providers and sponsor governments, applying an integrated digital approach to securing a border region makes more sense. This is particularly so when it is not possible logistically, financially or operationally to deploy an enormous amount of infrastructure, and when doing so maybe detrimental to the overall security situation as it would present a target and limit legitimate movement to too greater an extent. This may also cut across regional agreements to allow free movement of people, therefore what is often needed is a shared multi-agency intelligence picture across the border region. It maximises scarce resources by allowing data-led prevention initiatives and intelligence-led interventions, and avoids the militarisation related to conventional military-led approaches.
There are a number of means of regularising movement, and fundamental to an approach is:
Sensors, Deciders and Effectors.
These are integrated to collectively deliver a common intelligence picture to local agencies across a border region from C4I and Intelligence Fusion cells. In each specific instance, the technology should be developed and deployed in close partnership with regional governments to ensure that it enhances and integrates with existing local operations rather than imposing approaches ill-suited to local context. Also key is the use of sensors tailored to ensure long term effectiveness in arduous conditions, and potentially not always using ‘cutting edge’ solutions that require constant maintenance that is not always possible in difficult environments.
Alternatives
Manned surveillance
Increasing the number of military units permanently based in a border region would allow for improved surveillance but potentially risks an overly securitized approach, triggering a downward spiral in the security situation.
High intensity fixed surveillance network
Acquiring networks of sensor towers, such as along the southern U.S. border, are likely to be higher cost with capabilities that cannot fully be utilised and are not proven in arduous environments far away from a high technology support base. Specifically what kind of technology can be deployed and how robust is it will be limited when operating far from technological hubs and data centres, in areas with difficult communications challenges and in extreme heat, cold and wet weather.
Tower Sensor units
These integrate visual imagery, thermal imagery, EM spectrum, unmanned ground sensors and UASs integrated into a single unit. The Towers have both local controls and outputs which are integrated into the overall network. Imagery is processed locally using edge computing to ensure communications across the border area despite low levels of connectivity.
To ensure physical security is maintained, towers are either physically integrated into ballistic work stations designed and built by Kibo Cabins in the European Union, or are integrated into cross-country trailers allowing for mobile operations conducted jointly. The Kibo cabins linked to tower sensors also provide a safe working environment for border officers to effectively conduct border procedures and for the local operation of control towers. When armoured to STANAG Level III and using renewable energy initiatives such as PV solar panel powered air conditioning, thermally insulated work environments and well designed IT and communication systems to reduce the power requirements, the resilience of the cabins is further increased.
Integrating the sensor towers into border units, sharing infrastructure and enabling the co-location of intelligence collection from the Tower sensors and biometric units also drives efficiencies. The border crossing points also include power and living quarters for border officers to ensure an effective duty roster and well rested and productive officers.
Biometric Collection Devices
These allow for the local collection and interrogation of biometric data, even in remote locations. The strategy is that even on very remote border crossing points the border officers have the same access to biometric information and watchlists as they would normally only have on major borders such as at large ports and airports. These devices are networked into a central biometrics database which is reconciled with local and international watchlists. The devices are programmed with workflows capturing local border entry procedures to enable the efficient and compliant operation of border crossing procedures.
Fixed Wing UAVs
Providing 24/7 sensor coverage across a border area will allow for sensor coverage in areas not covered by Tower Sensors, as well as mobile surveillance to respond to trigger events or in support of deliberate operations. The existence of the UASs and their mobile covert nature will also act as a significant deterrent to illicit crossings along the full length of a remote border.
Upgraded Communications
data communications across remote regions is a challenge but by careful planning and working with mobile network operators and satellite providers coupled with a good data communications management plan, does provide enough band width for effective data and video sharing.
AI enabled digital tools
Intelligence fusion and C4I centres provide an integrated intelligence solution bringing together data from the tower sensors, biometric devices and other digital solutions such as reports from other agencies. Operators in the centres and in the ballistic cabins can access information predominantly through a Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) solution with a proven track record. These can be configured to work in partnership with local agencies to develop workflows which combine local requirements and training levels with best-practice TTPs from international partners. Data analysis and processing augmented by AI-enabled tools uplifts overall performance while maintaining a lower training burden.
Semantic labelling
Overlays on visual imagery, automatic tracking of individuals and vehicles with automated handovers between tower sensors and UAS, behavioural analysis (such as Draganfly’s Vital Intelligence Solutions) and “big data” tools for predictive analysis, network mapping and correlation identification can all be deployed to improve effectiveness.
Training & Support
Training and full operational support is absolutely vital when rolling out a new system to a government. A “train the trainer” and capability building approach with the end state of local agencies is critical to maintain the capabilities without a heavy reliance on international providers.
Conclusion
Looking carefully at the ‘Sensors, Deciders and Effectors’ model enables operating an intelligence led, data driven system that does not rely on large and cumbersome amounts of infrastructure where doing so would quickly use up budgets and only deal with physical issues. By taking a risk-based approach and relying on technology to augment people, it is possible to design systems that can be used by smaller nations with less budget to spend on their borders, but provide a good level of security and run intelligence led operations to counter illicit activity including terrorism.
