Have you ever wanted to simply get in a car or any means of transport and head to your destination, without thinking about whether you brought the necessary documents to cross the border? Yes, you surely did, but in that case your path would be unhindered at least until the first border crossing of your country with a neighbor.
There are many proponents who say that globalization should lead to the “erasure” of borders between states and allow the free movement of people. However, in the light of current global developments, such as the migrant crisis and the viral pandemic, many countries around the world have begun to reconsider their positions on the issue of free and uncontrolled entry of foreign nationals into their territory. Almost all countries therefore still have certain security measures in place when it comes to the movement of foreigners and goods through their territory. Border security measures are border control policies adopted by a state or a group of countries, and they serve to fight illegal trade, smuggling, illegal immigration, fight against transnational crime and prevent the travel of wanted criminals.
Different systems of border control play an important role in the control of borders and the movement of people, and in the continuation of this text we will talk a little more about them.
Border control systems and border crossings
Border control systems are a set of measures that a country introduces in order to monitor the state of its borders and regulate the movement of people and goods. Crossing the state border refers to any movement of people across the state border. The state border is crossed at the border crossing with a valid travel document or other document prescribed for crossing the state border, during the working hours of the border crossing and in accordance with the international agreement of the two neighboring countries.
A border crossing is a place designated for crossing the state border by road, rail, air and water traffic. At the border crossing, border control is conducted, i.e. control of persons and travel documents, control of vehicles and control of items performed during the established working hours in the border crossing area, in connection with the intended crossing of the state border or immediately after crossing the state border. .
During the border check of a person, the police officer is authorized to:
1) Inspect travel or other documents prescribed for crossing the state border
2) Checks and/or determines the identity of persons crossing the state border and performs checks in the records kept by the Ministry and other state administration bodies, as well as international organizations;
3) Take fingerprints of all fingers and palms of the person and other biometric data, if there is a doubt in the identity, i.e. in the authenticity of the travel or other document prescribed for crossing the state border and performs their verification;
4) Checks whether the person meets the conditions for entry into the Republic of Serbia, i.e. exit from the Republic of Serbia;
5) Checks the purpose of the person’s trip;
6) Performs examination of persons, if it is not possible to perform a check of persons in any other way,
7) Not allow a person to leave the border crossing area until the end of border checks;
8) Issue warnings and orders in order to perform proper, undisturbed and efficient border checks;
9) Certify the crossing of the state border, ie enter in the travel or other document prescribed for crossing the state border data on entry and exit, as well as data on refusal of entry, data on entry and transfer of firearms and ammunition and other data relevant for border control.
Systems for determining the identity of persons at border crossings
Systems for determining the identity of persons at the border crossing have the task of monitoring the condition, movement and behavior of persons, as well as vehicles and other factors at the border crossing and timely alert border officers and police in case of unauthorized actions, devices and presence of persons for whom a warrant is issued. and to whom the crossing should be disabled.
The days of monitoring the border areas with human eyes, attempts to use the now obsolete paper to identify criminals and known criminals are over. Today, the country’s borders, airspace and coasts are under constant video surveillance by electro-optical cameras, lasers, chemical detectors, X-ray scanners, biometric authentication systems, satellites, sensor drones, boats and other sensors to restrict the entry of illegal immigrants, terrorists, drugs and other smuggling.
Video surveillance at the border crossing
Video surveillance is a security system that is most often seen at all border crossings. It is easy to spot and its main task is to visually document the activity of persons at the border crossing, so that members of the border police can observe the behavior of several persons in real time and spot suspicious behavior or persons who should be prevented from crossing the border.
In addition to direct surveillance of persons crossing the border, the video surveillance system together with the border tracking system has the task of monitoring activity in remote and inaccessible areas, in order to prevent illegal border crossing.
Face recognition
Recently, an increasing number of countries have been introducing a face recognition system at their border crossings. It is a system composed of video surveillance and a special software for mapping facial features and comparing them with the information in the database. Face recognition technology confirms the identity of individuals by comparing their face with a database of celebrities. The process can be divided into three steps:
1) The computer finds the person in the picture.
2) Numerical representation of the face is created based on the relative position, size and shape of facial features.
3) The numeric map of the face in the image is compared with the images of previously identified persons in the database, for example, the ePassport photo database.
This type of identification is used to verify or reveal a person’s identity, and this technology can be used to verify that someone applied for a passport under more than one name. Other uses include identifying cases of identity theft, controlling access to facilities and equipment at border crossings, and identifying workers.
Border crossings are not mere lines on a map
What we need to be aware of is that borders exist not only to separate the territories and power of two neighboring countries or divide people, but also to protect human rights and freedoms within the territory in which they reside. Border control systems have been set up to prevent threats to collective security and represent a joint venture between the two countries to make movement between them as safe as possible. Control does not always mean the loss of freedom, in some cases it is the only mechanism that protects that freedom.
