Beyond the Border: a talk by Emily Gilbert

As part of the seminar series in the Department of Geography, Planing and the Environment, Emily Gilbert, associate professor of geography at the University of Toronto, is giving a lecture titled, "Beyond the Border: The North American Security Perimeter and the Politics of Mobility since 9/11."

During the Prime Minister’s visit to Washington in March, 2016, several announcements were made on shoring up Canada-US border security. While much has been made of the ‘bromance’ between Trudeau and Obama, and the possibilities that their relationship presents for cross-border cooperation, little of what was announced on border security was new. Rather, the initiatives simply reiterate initiatives set out in the Beyond the Border agreement of 2011. This is not to suggest, however, that sweeping changes at the border are not underway. Indeed, since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Canada-US border has been reshaped by wide-ranging bilateral and trilateral agreements, as well as ad hoc and incremental legislative changes. The border has become increasingly securitized, even militarized, while border functions have also been pushed away from the border. In this paper I examine the impact and implications of the hardened border, with particular attention to the politics of mobility.

Read more about Dr. Gilbert.