Emily Gilbert

Implications of a North Implications of a North American Security American Security Perimeter on Border Perimeter on Border and Immigration and Immigration PracticesPractices

Emily Gilbert,

Canadian Studies and Geography, University of Toronto

A North American Security Perimeter?

• Proposals for deeper integration– Customs union, common market, monetary

union

• Security and Prosperity Partnership– Security, Prosperity,

Quality of Life

• Addressing concerns about Canada’s ‘lax’ immigration and security

• Drawing together economic and security issues

• Not yet a ‘security perimeter’ but a ‘rebordering’ underway

• What implications for border and immigration practices?

Border Agreements

1) border security – security cooperation and interoperability

2) the NEXUS program – expedited border crossing for members

3) safe third-country agreement – ‘asylum shopping’ and limiting refugee claims

4) information sharing – national security and racial profiling

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

• Differential treatment for refugees and non-citizens– Detention, appeal, refoulement– IM1000, security certificates

• Security continuum: criminalization of refugees

Anti-Terrorism Act

• Increases police powers, eg surveillance

• Targets finance and financial assets

• Enables ‘preventative arrest’

• Concerns about racial profiling

Future Research Framework

1) Citizenship

2) Security

3) Borders

4) Comparative Studies

1) Citizenship

• Securing citizenship?

• Transnational citizenship, flexible citizenship, local citizenship

• Workers and labour rights

• Detention practices

• Immigrant experiences

2) Security

• National security vs. human security

• National security and human rights

• ‘Surveillance society’

• Financial terrorism

3) Borders

• ‘Rebordering’ and ‘delocalization’

• Geopolitical vs. geoeconomic interests

4) Comparative Studies

• US

• Europe

• Australia