It is necessary to note that the issue of national security is regarded as vital for all countries. However, different states handle the issue differently. It is possible to analyze the way the problem is treated in the EU and the USA. There are certain similarities and differences when it comes to the external borders of the EU and the US – Mexico border.
As for similarities, the EU and the US have a border with countries that have lower GDP, poorer living standards and higher crime rates. Thousands of (in the majority of cases, illegal) immigrants from Mexico attempt to settle in the USA while thousands of people are also trying to settle in European countries with stable economies. It is also necessary to note that labor markets of the USA and the EU are affected by the labor of immigrants. There are also two opposite views on immigration and immigrants as there are supporters and opponents of this process in the US and the European Union.
As far as differences are concerned, they are associated with the policies addressing the issue. Thus, the EU has a focus on integration while the USA concentrates on control (Givens, 2010). The EU opens its borders through providing membership to new European countries. The European Union also provides visa roadmaps to countries that may enter the union in the future. There is a great emphasis on integration of immigrants who have to follow quite strict rules. The countries (new and potential members) have to develop policies and laws that comply with rules of the union.
At that, the USA focuses on the increasing control over the border. Some policies are under development, but there is no particular approach to the problem and the US still invests into securing its borders rather than opening them to Mexican people. Importantly, the difference in approaches has a historical background (Givens, 2010). The 9/11 attacks played a substantial role in the development of attitudes towards immigrants and borders as well as national security. Americans have become more concerned with security issues. European countries started the process of integration that was an answer to the questions associated with nationalism as its diverted form resulted in the deadliest war in the history of humanity.
Nonetheless, it is also necessary to add that the migration crisis of 2015 has changed European countries’ (and especially their citizens’) views on immigration and integration. Some EU countries are willing to close their borders as they are unable to control the significant number of immigrants. Thus, the policies of the EU can become similar to ones used by the US government.
Personal Attitude
I always believed that national borders were synonyms to territorial boundaries. I thought that a country should have a border and control it. However, globalization and issues, as well as opportunities, associated with it have changed the idea of boundaries. I have found loads of benefits of integration and the EU’s experience can be regarded as an excellent illustration of these advantages. Availability of labor force, diversity and competitiveness resulted in the rapid economic growth of the European Union. However, it is also clear that the policies used in Europe are less efficient when large numbers of immigrants are trying to cross the borders within a short period. I believe that control over borders and integration should be combined.
Reference List
Givens, T.E. (2010). Immigration and national security: Comparing the US and Europe. The Whitehead Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, 11(1), 79-88. Web.