Abstract
Evaluating the Portuguese coast to determine its permeability to irregular entry via the sea
Immigration is and always has been a factor that shapes politics, economics, and cultures at an international level. In Europe, the number of irregular entries along the continent’s external border reached a record high in 2014, registering around 280,000 migrants crossing the EU border illegally. As an EU member, Portugal has been very active in not only participating in joint operations, but also in the development of new methodologies for monitoring and detecting irregular migrants, mainly through the testing of drones from a Portuguese airbase in the southern part of the country (the Algarve).
At the national level, Portugal does not have a problem with immigration, but this article seeks to evaluate the Portuguese coast to determine its permeability to irregular entry via the sea. This evaluation was developed as a possible future tool that Portuguese border guards could use to identify the most critical areas along the Portuguese shoreline. Though it is not the case right now, Portugal could become the next country of entry for migrants leaving North Africa due to the ever-increasing levels of monitoring, detection, and overall security on the Mediterranean Sea.
Portugal’s coastline is 943 kilometers long, but for this analysis, we are only taking into account the south and southwest coastline (the Algarve and Alentejo regions), assuming an individual trying to enter Portuguese territory from the North of Africa would try a disembark in this area.
Immigration is and always has been a factor that shapes politics, economics, and cultures at an international level. In Europe, the number of irregular entries along the continent’s external border reached a record high in 2014, registering around 280,000 migrants crossing the EU border illegally. As an EU member, Portugal has been very active in not only participating in joint operations, but also in the development of new methodologies for monitoring and detecting irregular migrants, mainly through the testing of drones from a Portuguese airbase in the southern part of the country (the Algarve).
At the national level, Portugal does not have a problem with immigration, but this article seeks to evaluate the Portuguese coast to determine its permeability to irregular entry via the sea. This evaluation was developed as a possible future tool that Portuguese border guards could use to identify the most critical areas along the Portuguese shoreline. Though it is not the case right now, Portugal could become the next country of entry for migrants leaving North Africa due to the ever-increasing levels of monitoring, detection, and overall security on the Mediterranean Sea.
Portugal’s coastline is 943 kilometers long, but for this analysis, we are only taking into account the south and southwest coastline (the Algarve and Alentejo regions), assuming an individual trying to enter Portuguese territory from the North of Africa would try a disembark in this area.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | 2020 State and Future of GEOINT Report |
| Publisher | United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) |
| Pages | 22-24 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - 28 Apr 2020 |
Publication series
| Name | Trajectory: official publication of the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) |
|---|---|
| Publisher | USGIF |
Keywords
- Human Geography
- Humanitarian Issues
