In the recent years, conventional wisdom has dictated that the age of globalization entails eliminating border control and allowing people to freely move from one country to the other. The argument is based on the fact that countries have been going through periods of economic and social integration. In addition, globalization and the development of communication technology has increased the level of interdependence among countries. Among the free market advocates, countries need to open up their borders to facilitate international trade (Crisis Group, 2018). Furthermore, there is a need to ease up the way business people carry out their activities by facilitating free border movement. In some cases, nations have allowed people to move freely across their borders. An example is the case of Canada. For almost two centuries now, the United States and Canada have adopted a policy that allows for easy movement of people and goods across the border. The policy has increased integration among Americans and Canadians. In addition, it has contributed to increase in trade volumes. In other instances, however, the United States has adopted a strict border control policy meant to protect its interests and citizens. A case example is the way the United States has been dealing with Mexico. The Mexican border remains one of the controversial borders today. In addition, it is a border that the United States strive to guard throughout the day. The trend raises questions on the kind of policies that the US adopts when dealing with neighbors. To some people the decision to open up the US-Canada border and restrict movement across the US-Mexico border may appear to be discriminatory. To others, it is a move that has allowed the US to overcome serious security, political, and economic challenges in the recent years. The US has opened the Canadian border because it is secure and shown reluctance in doing the same at the Mexican border because of the security implications that are involved. One of the main factors that has contributed to the restriction of movement across the US-Mexico border is illegal immigration. The United States has had a frosty relationship with Mexico. The thorny relationship between the two nations appears when one looks at the manner in which they deal with each other regarding international affairs (Andreas, 2003). The issue became even more evident in the last administration when president Trump stated that he was going to build a wall at the US-Mexico border. The wall was meant to control immigration into the United States. In addition, the wall was meant to stop the hundreds of people who leave Central America with the hope of moving north to get into the United States. These immigrants leave their homes for various reasons. There are those who are moving into the US to seek refugee protection while others are looking for employment opportunities. In the same time, some of them travel to the United States so that they can join their families there. The illegal movement of these people into the United States has been considered to be a security concern. Some of these people end up committing crimes in the United States, a concern that the government has been trying to address over the years. It is also worth stating that the number of murders that have been taking place at the border has increased significantly. Some of these immigrants are involved in violent activities that lead to their death. Others are attacked by colleagues as they fight over resources. To the United States government, the US-Mexico border remains a crime area that should be controlled and managed effectively. Another major factor that has contributed to the restriction of movement across the US-Mexico border is the subject of drug trafficking. For a long time, Mexico has been known to be the home of some of the most dangerous drug cartels. These groups use different tunnels, including the US-Mexico border to transport their drugs into the US. In some cases, they have ended up building tunnels that they use to transport the illegal substances. With the US government striving to manage the issue of drug sale, it has been deemed prudent to stop the smuggling of the drugs into the country. As a result, the government has created policies and programs that allow for strict control of the borders. The interventions are aimed at stopping the criminals from getting into the US or selling their products to the US citizens ( Alden and Roberts, 2011 ). The fight for drug smuggling routes in the US-Mexican border has also been a concern for the government. Cartels and gangs are always fighting to control the drug in the illegal substances. In some instances, the engage in kidnappings, sexual abuse, and killings so that they can achieve their selfish goals. As a result, the government has opted to restrict movement at the border so that it can protect its citizens from the harmful activities and the turf battles involving the Mexican drug cartels. In the case of Canada, the United States has adopted a policy that contrasts significantly to the one used in the case of Mexico. Over the years, Canada has remained one of the US trading partners. In addition, the two countries have been working on joint projects meant for their common good. For instance, both the US and Canada have intensified border control in their respective jurisdictions to increase security and deal with challenges such as terrorism (US Congress, n.d). In addition, the countries have worked together to arrest criminals, terrorism sympathizers, and members of gangs that may destabilize peace in the region. The close working relationship between the nations has brought significant fruits in terms of peace and security. This explains why movement across the US-Canada border is not restricted as the case of Mexico. The US government believes that it has common interests with Canada, including trade and control of border movement. Furthermore, the government feels that its citizens are secure even as they interact with Canadians. The long history between Canada and the US has also influenced the way border and immigration issues are handled. For a long time, the US-Canada border was commonly referred to as the undefended border. The name arose from the fact that none of the nations placed significant interest in hindering the movement of citizen from its territory to the other. The two nations emerged as great partners with a common border (Sand, 2009). They also created a system through which border and immigration disputes could be settled quickly. The trust between the two countries has persisted over the years. In some cases, the two countries have signed treaties that set out the kind of movements that are allowed across the borders. The primary objective is to ensure that the link between the nations is not eliminated. Furthermore, the approach has ensured that Americans and Canadians continue to live in harmony. While the United States has continued to keep its border with Canada open, there have been attempts to ensure that the opportunities are not exploited by criminals or people with ill intention. Following the 9/11 attack, the government has carefully monitored movement across the border. However, the intervention has not reached the level of the plans put in place for the US-Mexican border. Even with the delays and jams that are experienced at the checkpoints, citizens are still able to move from one nation to the other without trouble (Camuñez, 2016). In addition, the cross-border trade between the states has increased significantly, a trend that continues to promote integration in the region. Consequently, Canadians are likely to continue enjoying the excellent relationships that they have hand with the Americans. Furthermore, they are able to move to and from the United States with much ease compared to other people such as the Americas. In conclusion, countries usually develop different international policies that determine how they relate with others in the market. The kind of policy that a nation develops depends on a wide range of factors such as security, trade, and shared interest. In addition, the history between the countries and the prevailing political environment can influence the nature and type of policies that are adopted. The impact of the policies can be seen when it comes to immigration and border control. From the foregoing discussion, it is evident that the US has taken contrasting policies when it comes to controlling its borders with Mexico and Canada. In the case of Mexico, the US appears to have adopted a strict policy that makes it difficult of Mexican to cross the border. Furthermore, the United States has been monitoring its borders with Mexico closely with the intention of preventing crime and protecting the citizens. In the case of Canada, the US has taken a less restrictive method. Like in the previous years, the government has created an environment in which Canadians cab easily move from one country to the other. The trend is based on the relationship that the two nations have enjoyed over the years. As a result, Canadians will find it easy to move to and from the US compared to the Mexicans whose relationships with the US has been shaky.
References
Alden, E., & Roberts, B. (2011). Are U.S. Borders Secure? Why We Don't Know, and How to Find Out. Foreign Affairs , 90 (4).
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Andreas, & Peter. (2003, June 22). A tale of two borders: The U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada lines after 9/11. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6d09j0n2
Michael, C., Dawson, L., & Salina, L. (2016). Canada, Mexico, and the United States need each other. Retrieved from https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/north-american-century/canada-mexico-us-need-each-other.html
Crisis Group. (2018, May 9). Mexico’s southern border: Security, violence and migration in the Trump era. Retrieved from https://www.crisisgroup.org/latin-america-caribbean/mexico/66-mexicos-southern-border-security-violence-and-migration-trump-era
Sands. (2009). Toward a New Frontier: Improving the U.S.-Canadian Border . Retrieved from Hudson Institute website: https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/20090325_sands.pdf
Department of Homeland Security Intelligence And Border Security. (2006). - Department of Homeland Security intelligence and border security: Delivering operational intelligence. Retrieved from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-109hhrg34854/html/CHRG-109hhrg34854.htm
