International Borders Research Articles

Risk Factors for Death among Hospitalized and Nonhospitalized Patients due to COVID-19 in a Triple International Border Municipality.

The severity of COVID-19 in the general population ranges from minimally symptomatic disease to critical illness, which may require hospitalization and progress to death. A retrospective cohort study carried out with all positive cases of COVID-19 reported in the municipality of Foz do Iguaçu (PR) between the period from March 2020 to December 2021. Data were collected from Bank Notifies COVID-19 is the name of the information system that provides notifications by professionals of suspected and confirmed cases of the disease. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques and calculation of relative risk. 24,647 confirmed cases were identified in the study; among these, 22,211 (90.1%) were not hospitalized and 2436 (9.9%) were hospitalized. Among the 2436 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, 947 (38.9%) died and 1489 (61.1%) recovered. Among the 22,211 outpatients, 93 (0.4%) died and 22,118 (99.6%) recovered. An association between death and the following characteristics was identified among the cases that were hospitalized: male gender, all age groups over 40 years, indigenous race/color, hospital staylength of more than 10 days,hospitalization in a Unified Health System (SUS) bed and in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). According to the clinical characteristics of symptoms and comorbidities, the following prevailed:ities dyspnea, intercostal retraction, cyanosis, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, smoking, lung disease, kidneydisease, neurological disease, neoplasia, and immunodeficiency. Among the cases that were not hospitalized, death was associated with: malegender, all age groups over 50 years, dyspnea, cyanosis, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, neurological disease, neoplasia, and liver disease. Older adults, male, and Caucasian people are commonly affected by COVID-19 and can evolve with aggravation when they have modifiable risk factors such as obesity and smoking, as well as nonmodifiable risk factors such as: cardiovascular disease, neurological disease, renal, hypertension, diabetes, and immunosuppression.

Regional food markets of the Western borderlands of Russia: adaptation to integration and disintegration processes

The paper reveals the mechanisms of adaptation of food markets in the western borderland of Russia to the integration and disintegration processes that have been taking place on the external and internal borders of the Eurasian Economic Union since 2014. Using the example of the Kaliningrad and Smolensk oblasts, the authors identified changes in the regional food base under conditions of active import substitution, assessed the changes in food preferences of the population, as well as the role of cross-border practices in meeting the population's food needs. Based on the analysis of regional and federal statistics and field research, it was possible to establish that against the background of active investment in agriculture and food production there were three parallel processes: the spatial contraction of agricultural production, the expansion of its production capacity by large agricultural holdings in strictly defined areas (around regional capitals and important transport routes), and the expansion of holdings in selected peripheral areas with the lowest land value. Despite the commonality of the processes, the performance in agriculture and food production and activity in obtaining state support in Smolensk and Kaliningrad oblasts are radically different. Visual inspection of retail outlets, discourse analysis and representative surveys of the population allowed us to conclude that import substitution only partially allowed to provide raw materials and final products to regional food markets in both regions, since most holdings are oriented to meet the demand in high-margin markets inside and outside the country. Food markets in border regions are characterized, on the one hand, by greater vulnerability to integration and disintegration processes, and, on the other hand, by the variability of choice and opportunities for cross-border shopping trips. However, empirical data obtained by sociological methods show that the widespread perceptions of high cross-border mobility of the population of border regions are highly overestimated. The populations of Smolensk and Kaliningrad oblasts are similar in the level of mobility and conservatism with regard to shopping for goods of specific manufacturers of a suitable price segment. The “network” (through intermediaries) penetration of “sanctioned” goods in the Kaliningrad oblast covered a much larger share of the population than that which directly traveled abroad for shopping, so the adaptation of the population to external challenges to the food market was more noticeable.

LEGITIMNOST MEĐUREPUBLIČKOG RAZGRANIČENjA U KOMUNISTIČKOJ JUGOSLAVIJI I MOGUĆE GEOPOLITIČKE POSLEDICE TOG PROCESA U NOVIM OKOLNOSTIMA

The internal, republican borders between the federal units were declared internationally recognized after the dissolution of the former common state. As such, they were accepted by the most important international actors, and the membership of the former Yugoslav republics in the OUN took place according to the limits determined by the principles of the Second Session of the AVNOY in Jajce in 1943. Despite the fact that in this way and with the assistance of the international community, the demarcation process was finally legalized, the question of its legitimacy remained open. Especially if one takes into account the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis from February 2022 and the accompanying re-actualization of the issue of borders in the former communist federations. The paper consists of four parts. The first part presents the way of making the decision on the federalization of Yugoslavia and demarcation within the country. The second part is dedicated to the events during the breakup of the SFR Yugoslavia, with reference to the work of the so-called Badinter Commission and the “internationalization” of internal borders. The third part analyzes the impact of the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis on the re-actualization of the issue of legitimacy of demarcation, while the fourth is reserved for concluding considerations.

Ulusötesi Ailelere Kavramsal Bir Açılım: Sıradışı Uzak Mesafe Aileler

Transnational families are among the by-products of global capitalism, the feminization of migration and the globalization of care work. Transnational families owe their existence to the rise of communication and transportation technologies, economic transformations, and cultural features in their countries of origin and destination. A transnational family is different from an ordinary immigrant family. The defining factor is not the act of cross-border movement of the family, but the dispersion of the family, nuclear or extended, across international borders, where different family members spend time in one or another country depending on various factors. The emergence of transnational family experience relates to economic, political, social, and cultural factors, and has far-reaching causes and consequences. This study offers a new conceptual approach to the discussion of transnational families departing from Judith Stacey’s (1996) “postmodern family condition”. As a family arrangement made possible in the postmodern family condition, transnational families better describe situations in which families are not visible yet not absent, not necessarily broken but separated. Transnational families require a whole new understanding and definition of familial relationships, which should focus on the fluid nature of those in the absence of a concrete family setting. The role of immigrant women in such a family structure stands as a challenge to the stereotypical “modern family” as defined by Stacey; hence, enabling the conceptualization of transnational families as part of the postmodern condition. The impact transnational family experience has on various actors involved is examined by asking some fundamental questions such as: How are the decisions concerning who migrate under what conditions taken? How does the transnational family experience affect gender relations? What are the global and local conditions that make this experience possible? This study employs a three-layered approach to analyze the issue. First, the structural backdrop to transnational families is analysed; namely, the expansion of global capitalism that feeds female labour migration and the demand for the service sector, especially domestic care services. Second, the changes in the concept of family due to societal structural transformations and the emergence of new family forms are discussed. Third, the consequences of the first two aspects of the experience of transnational family life and its impact on parties involved at various levels are analysed: providers of care work and their families (parents, children, and extended family members), receivers of care work (employers and their families), and mediators of global care work (agencies and states).

European Union Tools for the Sustainable Development of Border Regions

The European Union uses several instruments aimed at reducing disparities between regions and strengthening their competitiveness and sustainability. The border regions have a special relevance, given their position and characteristics, as well as the challenges faced by local actors. The European Commission has introduced the action “b-solutions” to tackle the specific border obstacles along European Union internal borders. The article aims to analyze the integration mechanisms at the micro-regional level, which is considered as a viable and sustainable solution for cross-border regions with resources which can be exploited to attract investment and generate wealth and well-being. The qualitative analysis method involved consulting thematic publications of the b-solution program and extracting data from the presentation sheets of accepted proposals published by the Association of European Border Regions. The collected data were processed according to criteria such as direction of action, types and causes of obstacles, solutions proposed by experts, etc. Addressing the legal and administrative obstacles that hamper cross-border flows proved to be a good initiative, with 120 cases selected. The solutions offered to the particular cases can also be replicated for other obstacles identified at the European Union’s internal borders so that cooperation between border regions is intensified to the benefit of increasing European territorial, economic, and social cohesion.

Performance of Border Area Development Programme (BADP) in Arunachal Pradesh

The Border Area Development Programme (BADP) was introduced by center government during the Seventh Five Year Plan in the year 1986-87 in the western border of the country. The primary objectives of the programme are to balanced socio-economic development in border areas and provide sense of security amongst the local border areas residents. The programme is focused on the creation of physical infrastructural facilities. In Arunachal Pradesh, BADP was introduced in the year 1997-98 for Indo-Myanmar border with an allocation of amount Rs 4.00 crores. Further, in the year 1998-99 the programme was also covered in China and Bhutan border. This programme was initiated under the ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India to adopt a comprehensive approach to Border Management in international land border. This study investigates the status of BADP and Role of local people in execution and implementations. Further, to investigate the people’s perception on performance of BADP in the study areas.

Dampak dari Kehadiran Bisnis Internasional bagi Indonesia

International business is a business activity carried out between countries by carrying out export and import activities. International trade is the exchange of goods and services across international borders. This usually comes with additional risks caused by changes in exchange rates. The purpose of this analysis is to find out about the influence of international business on Indonesia. In this type of research the author uses descriptive research and collects information and analyzes data using secondary data. From this analysis, it can be seen the influence and impact of international business on Indonesia.

The Effects of Trade Related Sanctions on Russia on Kazakhstan’s International Trade in Goods

The aim of this study is to explore the effects of sanctions on the international trade of Kazakhstan using data from TradeMap database. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has brought instability to the broader Eurasian continent and significantly affected neighboring states. Kazakhstan and Russia share the second-longest international land border and both participate in the Eurasian Economic Union with a high level of economic integration. Given Kazakhstan's landlocked status, the country relies on Russian territory for its main export routes. Despite expectations of potential issues with oil and gas transportation for Kazakhstan due to sanctions on Russia, there was an increase in mineral exports from Kazakhstan in 2022, resulting in a positive trade balance. High energy prices and inflation in the EU at the start of the invasion led to the delay of oil and gas import bans by the bloc until late 2022. There is also evidence of sanction evasion by Kazakhstani companies, reflected in changes in the structure of exports to Russia. This has prompted visits by officials from sanctioning countries and increased monitoring. Overall, the conflict and subsequent comprehensive sanctions have created uncertainty for investors and require scenario-based long-term planning and additional compliance costs. It is recommended to improve awareness of local companies about the possibility of violating sanctions through corporate training and cooperation with business associations. This will help local businesses to prevent the risk of being subjected to secondary sanctions.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION: BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES

A broad range of teamwork styles and practices characterizes the present state of science. Working together across organizational and cultural boundaries widens the horizons of scientific discovery. Collaborative research initiatives that span international borders frequently yield results that surpass the accomplishments of individual teams working alone. Collaboration among scientists is an essential aspect of the advancement of all scientific disciplines, particularly in the field of clinical medicine. Cultural and international diversity involvement in projects can be advantageous for scientific progress. However, it also brings specific difficulties, potential hazards, and drawbacks. Some of the significant difficulties identified are related to the physical distance between people and the variations in culture, language, and career level. This review analyzes the benefits and challenges associated with international scientific collaboration and strategies for effective collaboration.

Assumptions of the Schengen Borders Code and the Schengen Information System and their role in preventing illegal border crossings

On December 21, 2007, Poland joined the Schengen Zone. The decision to abolish controls at the internal borders of the EU and the accession of nine new member states to the Schengen Zone was one of the most significant steps toward the full realization of European integration. The expansion of the Schengen Zone contributed significantly to the construction of a united Europe based on mutual trust, collectively striving to maintain a high level of security. The Schengen Agreement’s provisions eliminated controls for individuals crossing borders between member states of the agreement while strengthening police, judicial, security, and asylum policy cooperation. The main focus of this article is on the provisions of the Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of March 9, 2016, concerning the Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders, also known as the Schengen Border Code. The primary objective is to highlight this Code as a tool for preventing the illegal crossing of Schengen Zone borders, which is closely related to combating crimes against document credibility. The publication also addresses issues related to the functioning of the Schengen Information System.

“El Chamizal is ours forever:” Rumor, time, and the law in El Paso’s settler society

This essay contributes to literature on the intersections of white settler colonialisms, racial capitalism, and U.S.-Mexico borderlands history by tracing the web of spatial, temporal, and legal power relations that produced El Paso, Texas’ seemingly legitimate possession of stolen Mexican territory known as “El Chamizal” in the El Paso-Cd. Juárez borderlands. This land theft became the Chamizal Dispute: an international land and boundary conflict between the U.S. and Mexico caused by the meandering Río Grande that defines the “fixed” international border between El Paso, Texas and Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua. In the 1860s, multiple shifts in the Rio Grande “relocated” El Chamizal north of this river/boundary. Soon thereafter, and despite Mexico’s sustained claim to and jurisdiction over this land, recently arrived Anglo American settlers incorporated El Chamizal into the nascent City of El Paso. In 1964, the U.S. and Mexico finally agreed to resolve this conflict by virtue of the landmark Chamizal Treaty, which ceded 630-acres of El Paso to Cd. Juárez as El Chamizal. Contrary to what dominant state accounts and the mainstream historical literature on this settlement would have us believe, however, this ceded land includes only a fraction of the original contested terrain. El Chamizal therefore remains a stolen tract of land nestled within the heart of El Paso. Drawing on oral histories, court testimonies and affidavits, and an array of binational records, this essay demonstrates that this ongoing theft is not a finite or complete project. Rather, the process hinges on a fragile web of spatial, white settler temporal, and legal practices of concealment/denial anchored to a colonial rumor that refuses to open this region to the mystery and wonder of the Río Grande’s “wayward life, beautiful experiment in how to live.”

Irregular Migration in Poland and the Importance of Readmission Agreements in Theory and Practice

Poland is a Member State of the European Union and a part of the Schengen area, which ensures free movement without controls at its internal borders while strengthening the security of its external borders. It plays a special role here, as its eastern border is simultaneously its external border. This importance has been further increased by recent events in the eastern part of Europe, particularly through the smuggling of migrants and refugees into the European Union from, inter alia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries in the Middle East and Africa via the Belarusian-Lithuanian, Belarusian-Polish, and Belarusian-Latvian borders in 2021, and because of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022 resulting in millions of people fleeing war and seeking protection, particularly in the eastern part of the European Union. The increased migratory movement along the eastern borders of the Republic of Poland observed in 2021, was a direct cause of the changes introduced in Polish legislation on foreigners. The possibility of returning migrants apprehended immediately after crossing the border in violation of the law was introduced. In such cases, the competent commanding officer of the Border Guard could draw up a report on crossing the border and issue an order to leave Poland. The appeal against this order may be presented to the Commander-in-Chief of the Border Guard, which, however, does not suspend it. The aim of these provisions was to protect the border from a mass influx of irregular migrants. However, it is questionable whether they simultaneously ensure the fundamental human right to be treated with dignity.

THE EUROPEAN UNION’S CONFLICT RESOLUTION POLICY IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS

The South Caucasus region has served as a frontier between Western and Eastern civilizations for millennia. The area is rife with conflict due to international borders drawn after the collapse of the Soviet Union, without regard to historical consolidation and international legal reconciliation. The EU’s approach to conflict resolution is underpinned by its political legitimacy and economic power, which enhance its ability to assert its presence in areas of conflict or crisis. However, while there is a desire among the region’s countries for greater engagement with the EU, there is an asynchrony between the Union’s security policy and the expectations of the South Caucasian states, resulting in an inefficient security situation. It seems that the security cacophony in and around the South Caucasus will continue unless there is a transition from neorealist behavior to positive peace and unless all actors change their foreign policy thinking.

Attuning to Emotions in the History of Border-Making: The Estonian-Latvian Boundary Commission in 1920

Borders are key sites for the amplification of emotions, yet historians have rarely made emotions into a focal point for studies of boundary-making processes. This article sets out fragmentary evidence for how to read across a fuller array of sources that move us beyond technocratic understandings of boundary commissions to highlight the range of emotional interactions which occurred between boundary commissioners and local populations. It draws on evidence from the Estonian-Latvian Boundary Commission, established in the summer of 1919 to demarcate the international border between the newly independent states of Estonia and Latvia. Petitions sent to the Boundary Commission by the border region inhabitants expressed fear, trepidation or anger about the border proposal and professed feelings of patriotic loyalty to the Estonian or Latvian state. The press derided the Boundary Commission, using humour to convey frustration and shock at the absurdity of the border proposal and tarnish the reputation of the commissioners by portraying them as hot-headed. The accumulating emotional toll of these public sentiments left the boundary commissioners feeling weary and disheartened. By attuning to moods and sentiments surrounding the work of the Estonian-Latvian Boundary Commission, this exploratory article calls for historians to consider emotions methodologically as part of a broader toolkit of approaches for studying histories of boundary-making and to reflect on the insights such perspectives can bring to the field.

“Our People, Our Rules, and Our Border!”: Village Networks, People’s Economies, and the Functioning of the State at the Western Edge of Ukraine

This paper aims to present local state and border administrations in terms of people’s everyday economies (their function and purpose). Instead of seeing local state institutions and border administration from a top-down perspective, I present them as socially negotiated, since the days of socialism to the present, by locals who have lived by (and made a living from) the international border with Slovakia for almost eighty years. I particularly reflect on the social relations and informal practices carried out through the border and performed from within local state institutions, and the unwritten rules of people’s economies in a particular Transcarpathian village community in Ukraine. I argue these economies, carried out within family networks that form a village community (built on sense of common belonging, trust, and moral obligations to peers), have served to establish local networks as effective means for gaining control of public offices and institutions (including the administration of the border) during socialism and in post-socialism. Hence, the local economy is presented as a model of transacting within and between local family networks in the environment of the local state and border administrations, whose functioning is strongly influenced by sociality and practices of the village community. The community, I posit, had adapted to socialism as a state regime by developing a performative competence to act according to communally-shared rules, albeit sometimes beyond formal rules. Adding to the key influence of interactions and transactions within local networks’ economies on the functioning of the border, I argue that the economies here served also moral and solidary purposes in times of more recent crises, that is, during the ongoing war in Ukraine that has brought extensive traffic to the external Schengen border. Favouring as a key resource in managing, negotiating and ultimately subverting official structures and institutions should thus be considered a core strategy of long-term resilience of local collectives against past and present adversities.

Internal and Internalised Borders of Havana

In this ethnographic snapshot, I reflect on the experience of the internal borders of Havana. I consider how these borders become internalised, impacting everyday lives and the movements of my research partners across the city. I focus on the marginalised citizens whose legal status and place of living make the borders especially apparent. My interest lies in how the internal borders are set up and embodied in the context of Cuba and reflected in everyday experiences. I use my encounter with Ramón to present the varied experiences of the border through two radically different positionalities: that of Cubans who migrated to Havana and myself as a foreigner being able to move freely through the city.

F-TLBO-ID: Fuzzy fed teaching learning based optimisation algorithm to predict the number of [formula omitted]-barriers for intrusion detection

Ensuring fast and efficient Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP) at international borders is crucial for maintaining security and safeguarding nations. In this study, we propose an innovative approach that harnesses the power of machine learning and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) to achieve faster and more accurate IDP. Our novel Fuzzy fed Teaching Learning Based Optimisation regression algorithm (F-TLBO-ID) revolutionises the prediction of the required number of k-barriers for rapid IDP. To develop and validate our approach, we synthetically generated pertinent features using Monte-Carlo simulations. These features encompass essential parameters such as the concerned region’s area, effective transmission range, effective sensing range, number of sensor nodes, and the fading parameter. Training the F-TLBO-ID algorithm with these features yielded exceptional results, accurately predicting the required number of k-barriers with an impressive correlation coefficient (R = 0.99), minimal Root Mean Square Error (RMSE = 11.32), and negligible bias (−3.66). To benchmark the performance of our F-TLBO-ID algorithm, we conducted comprehensive comparisons with fine-tuned benchmark algorithms, including AutoML, GPR, GRNN, RF, RNN, SVM, and ANN. Additionally, we evaluated the algorithm against 11 different variants of nature-inspired algorithms. Remarkably, our F-TLBO-ID algorithm outperformed all these methods in terms of accuracy, firmly establishing its superiority. Finally, we validated the performance of the F-TLBO-ID algorithm using publicly available datasets. The results were highly satisfactory, exhibiting a strong correlation coefficient (R = 0.84), acceptable RMSE (36.24), and minimal bias (−7.17). This study offers a robust and reliable algorithm to predict the required barriers for fast IDP, surpassing the accuracy of existing benchmark algorithms. By implementing our proposed algorithm, the efficiency of IDP systems at international borders can be significantly improved, ultimately enhancing security and facilitating smooth border operations.

International Borders, Integration and Economic Development: Evidence from Argentina

This paper analyzes the effects of international borders and of trade agreements on subnational development in Argentina. The identification strategy leverages the Mercosur trade services agreement in 2005, and the different proximity of the districts to the international border with member countries. Two main outcomes are analyzed: economic growth and inequality. For this purpose, an annual panel of districts covering more than two decades (1992-2013) is used. The results show that the presence of an international border has a negative and significant effect on the economic growth of border districts (-0.14 percentage points of GDP annually) but also contributes to reducing inequality compared to districts without a border. On the other hand, a commercial integration agreement tends to partially offset the negative effects on economic growth (+0.04 percentage points of GDP annually). The results of the paper are relevant in terms of trade and development policy recommendations: deepening integration agreements constitutes a potential mechanism to boost growth in the poorest regions and thus reduce subnational disparities.

"They don't care about people; they only care about the money": the effects of border enforcement, commodification and migration industries on the mobility of migrants in transit through Mexico.

How does border enforcement affect the mobility of migrants and refugees in countries of transit? What impact does it have on migrants' bodily experiences of mobility and their reliance on actors of the migration industry? While the externalization of borders affects undocumented people by increasing their vulnerability to violence during transit, the impact of the migration regime on the social construction of inequalities in every-day interactions and its relationship to the capacity for mobility has not been studied in depth. This article intends to bridge this gap: based on ethnographic fieldwork I conducted between 2013 and 2019, this article analyzes the relation between immigration enforcement and the mobility strategies of migrants and refugees, particularly women. It focuses on the intertwining of border enforcement and violence and their impact on people's bodily mobility experiences in transit through Mexico along intersecting lines of inequality such as race, class, gender and nationality. First, I analyze how border enforcement contributes to internal bordering, thereby increasing the vulnerability and dependence of migrants on brokers for mobility; second, it looks at the bodily experiences of women in transit and the ways in which internal bordering shapes gendered power hierarchies among actors in the field of mobility. The analysis shows how women negotiate mobility and bodily integrity in social interactions with different actors and how they face constraints resulting from the gendered hierarchies to mobility on routes of transit. Furthermore, it demonstrates how women's bodies have become a privileged site for the construction of a 'body politic' exploitable by others, since border enforcement has contributed to weakening the possibilities of negotiating mobility and bodily integrity in transit.

Subregional Memories of an Undivided Rural Punjab: Community, Culture and Identity among the Hindus of Bahawalpur

This paper revisits Punjab’s ethnic composition at the time of the 1947 Partition of India by tracing the ethnic and cultural experiences of a subregional ethnic group from the princely state of Bahawalpur. This group was displaced from the rural parts of Bahawalpur in 1947 and resettled in remote areas of the Hindumalkot international border in Rajasthan after being allotted land in the region by the Indian state. Through an ethnographic engagement with the community, the paper’s first section traces its experiences of displacement and of the ethnic-linguistic shift after the resettlement in Rajasthan. The survivors’ testimonies illustrate that despite their desire to sustain a vernacular identity as Bahawalpuris, social, economic and administrative pressures hastened an ethnic-linguistic amnesia. However, as the second section illustrates, through a linguistic and cultural renewal among the second and third generations, the Bahawalpuris have tried to dissociate themselves from a homogenised Punjabi Hindu identity and renew a subregional identity as Bahawalpuris. This section traces subregional sites of ethnicity and culture in the later generations that draw their meaning from memories of collective performances of pre-Partition life in rural Bahawalpur.