Border control agencies are responsible for enforcing a country’s immigration laws and preventing illegal crossings. They check documents, screen for contraband and contagious diseases, and collect customs fees. In countries with illegal immigration, they also patrol land and sea borders.
Every nation around the world determines its own rules and laws regarding immigration and visits to the country by foreign born citizens. Furthermore, every nation has the right to control its borders from illegal crossings. As a result, most nations have a specific law enforcement agency responsible for border control. The precise tasks assigned to a border control agency will vary by jurisdiction; however, in most cases, they will be responsible for the flow of traffic at legal border crossings and the prevention of illegal smuggling or potentially infectious diseases, as well as collecting customs fees and patrolling the border for illegal crossings.
In many jurisdictions, the primary goal of border control is simply to make sure that everyone, and everything, who enters the country does so legally. Border Patrol officers are typically stationed at legal points of entry to check the documents of citizens returning to the country or foreign-born citizens who are visiting the country. In addition to checking the paperwork of those entering legal entry points, Border Patrol officers are typically tasked with screening for illegal contraband such as drugs, weapons, or prohibited products or animals.
Another function of border control is often to check both animals and humans for the presence of potentially contagious diseases. A contagious disease transmitted from one place to another by a human or an animal can spread rapidly and reach epidemic proportions in a very short time. Most countries require people to present a medical examination certificate before receiving a visa to enter; however, animals are often kept in quarantine by border control until they are certain that the animal is free from contagious diseases.
In some countries, a person must go through customs when reaching the border to declare any items brought into the country. The reason items need to be declared is that an excise duty may be levied on the purchase. For example, when a person enters the United States from a foreign country, some items are considered tax free, while others must be declared and taxed before continuing their journey into the country.
In countries where illegal immigration is a major problem, the Border Patrol is also responsible for patrolling the nation’s land and sea borders. The extensive land borders in the United States that separate the United States from Canada and Mexico, for example, are often used to cross the country illegally. As a result, Border Patrol officers continuously patrol the borders on foot, in vehicles and in the air, trying to prevent illegal crossings.
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