(I) Maintaining effective border security is challenging for most states as it allows illegal cross-border movement of people and goods undermining sovereignty. (II) Ineffective security results in porous borders that enable undocumented migration, drug and arms smuggling, and movement of terrorists. (III) The research aims to identify challenges to border security and their political, economic and social impacts, as well as how to strengthen security.

1. REARCH PROPOSAL
RESEARCH TOPIC: BORDER SECURITY
RESEARCHER NAME & SURNAME: ENNOCENT SIBUSISO SILINDA
STUDENT NO : 20009878
SPUPERVISOR :
UNIVERSITY : UNIVEN
FACULT OF HUMAN AND SOCIAL SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT : DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
DEGREE : BA HONOURS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. “MAINTAING BORDER SECURITY IS A CHALLENGE FACED BY MOST STATES”
INTRODUCTION.
Border is a dividing line between two countries, while security refers to all measures
that are taken to protect a particular place or ensuring movement of people and
goods with permission to enter or leave a country.(Collins cobuild,2023) There is air,
land and maritime borders, but here the research will focus on the land borders
which are very length and porous and challenging to maintain, in addition by
definition “border security” is the first defense line against the illegal cross-border
movement of people and goods.(UN,2023) Ineffective border security makes
permeable borders, allowing penetration of external forces to states such as influx of
illegal/undocumented migrants, smuggling of drugs and stolen vehicles, human and
arms trafficking, also allowing movement of terrorist and foreign terrorist fighters.

3. PROBLEM STATEMENT.
Permeable borders is allowing penetration of external forces(Heywood,2014,p128) to
states due to challenges faced by states in maintaining border security, as a results it
allows influx of illegal migrants, smuggling of drugs and stolen vehicle, human and
arms trafficking, also allowing movement of terrorist and terrorist organizations. The
movement of undocumented people, smuggling of drugs and stolen vehicles,
(Heywood,2014,p178) humans and arms trafficking , and movement of terrorist and
terrorist group.(UN,2023) characterized the challenges faced within border security
which is posing threat to the sovereignty states, despite of the effort to improve and
maintain the border security to avoid such problems. In summary of the research
problem of border security, for better understanding the research questions following
will be addressed;
(I) what are challenges faced by states within border security?
(II) Why permeable borders pose a threat to sovereignty states?
(III) How ineffective border security affects states, political, economical and
social.
(IV) Why people migrate illegal, what push them and pull them to other
countries?
(V) what are can be done by both countries, the “sending” and receiving” ?

4. Objectives
The long term objective of the research is to provide an advanced land border
security system and ensures effectiveness. The current objective of this study is
provide understandable review of literatures and research sources relevant to border
security. In addition; the research consists of the following sub-objectives;
(I) to provide review of sources and outline the challenges faced within border
security.
(II) To explain threat posed by permeable borders to sovereignty states.
(III) to described political, economic and social effect of in-effective border
security.
(IV) To provide information that is known about the research problem and to fill
the existing gap with new knowledge about the research problem.
(V) To give recommendation on a research problem.

5. Literature review.
The literature review shows that the past studies focused on debate, about “is state
sovereignty now an outdated concept?” Those in favors placed more emphasis on
permeable borders, viewed states borders the traditional guarantee of territorial
sovereignty as permeable in that they have increasingly been penetrated by external
forces.(Heywood,2014,p128) Migration is one of the external force penetrating state
borders with undocumented migrants coming in and going out of the state borders,
secondly is the smuggling of drugs like dagga from eSwatini to SA and smuggling of
stolen cars from SA to Mozambique,(defensewen,2023) thirdly human trafficking
from poor countries to rich countries for labor and sexual
exploitation,(Heywood,2014,174) lastly the movement of terrorist and terrorist group
is heightening insecurities due criminal activities taking place within the
borders.(UN,2023) To prevent the illegal movements of people and goods, certain
measures were undertaken , such the establishment of border post to regulate the
movement of people and goods, deployment of national defense arms and other
measures. Despite of the effort to enforce measures, “SANDF is getting more money
for border security to buy advanced vehicles and sensors”(Martin,2023), challenges
still prevailing within border security. The research will fill the existing gap from past
researches by addressing the challenges and approach the circumstances
destabilizing border security, and provide long term recommendation to avoid
negative impact faced by both pushing and pulling countries.

6. The methodology
The primary research method for this study is literature review and approach to
understand border security, also reviewing various source to identify the research
question and formulate an hypothesis or research questions. Secondly to widen the
scope of the study qualitative and quantitative research methodology will be applied,
to collect data will use research methods; Interviews, survey, questionnaire, the
study will analyze both written and spoken words as qualitative and numerical data
as quantitative data, using research techniques and tools to process, evaluate,
interpret and monitor data. Data will be collect from primary and secondary sources
and research ethics will be applied. This study will be conducted from April, 2023
and November, 2023.

7. References.
Andrew, H (2014) ‘global politics’,2nd edition, Palgrave Macmillan, United Kingdom.
Defenceweb(2023) ‘Drugs and stolen vehicles seized by SANDFsoldires on border
patrol’. Available at:
https://www.bing.com/search?q=drugs+and+stolen+vehicles&cvid=ae16cbdab10442
10a442c576f5a5d89e&aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i57j46j0l2j46j69i60l3.3737j0j1&pglt=43&
FORM=ANNTA1&DAF0=1&PC=WSEDDB#. (accessed : 31 march 2023)
Martin, G (2023), ‘SANDF getting more money for border security to buy vehicles for
patrol’. Available at:
https://www.bing.com/search?q=SANDF+getting+more+for+border+security&cvid=a
b228bd0667c447e8df78ee71576b647&aqs=edge..69i57j0l4j69i60.46406j0j1&pglt=4
3&FORM=ANNTA1&DAF0=1&PC=WSEDDB# ( Accessed; 01 April,2023)
UN(2022) ‘Border Security and trafficking arms’.Available at:
https://www.bing.com/search?q=Border+security+and+arms+trafficking&cvid=d8fcb4
08059544428f14871d0727d1d5&aqs=edge..69i57j0l7j69i60.60577j0j1&pglt=43&FO
RM=ANNTA1&DAF0=1&PC=WSEDDB#. (accessed: 30 march 2023)
Patel, F(2023) ‘SANDF recovers three stolen vehicle near Mozambique border’.
Available at: https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/crime/sandf-recover-stolen-
cars-mozambican-border/. (Accessed: 02 April 2, 2023)