Missing Link: Border security USA made in Germany

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The way we deal with migration and refugees has changed. Some countries are trying to reduce the intake of refugees and close their borders. "Lately, irregular migration has increased dramatically and is no longer manageable with the existing systems," the European Commission stated in 2018 and went on to explain that improved methods of border surveillance were required.

"Missing Link"

What's missing: In the fast-paced world of technology, we often don't have time to sort through all the news and background information. At the weekend, we want to take this time to follow the side paths away from the current affairs, try out other perspectives and make nuances audible.

• All our the "Missing Links"

The USA is a role model for some. "We have to seal these borders," said Donald Trump in his speech after winning the US presidential election on November 6, 2024. During Trump's first term in office, not only were fences and walls erected with Mexico.

Control at the border and in the nearby border area has been stepped up for years and upgraded with surveillance technologies. A system is also being used to track the movements of vehicles, as well as smartphones and other wireless devices.

The border is becoming intelligent

Border security is becoming intelligent, old fences are being made smart with the help of sensors and cameras. New "intelligent hardware" is being added in the form of drones and surveillance towers from the manufacturer Anduril. Surveillance is being expanded both technically and spatially. It not only covers the area of the direct border – but is increasingly also focusing on routes behind the border.

Automated license plate recognition systems are nothing unusual at border crossings. In the interior of the country, they have so far mainly been used to prosecute traffic offenses and search for stolen vehicles on arterial roads.

Now such a system with extended monitoring and analysis functions is being used in the border area between the USA and Mexico. Manufactured by a company based in East Germany that has become a global corporation. Jenoptik from Jena. Known for its speed cameras and inventor of automatic license plate recognition in 1979.