Cross-Border Mobility

By

Cross-Border Mobility

Introduction

Long ago the world was a place with no dividing territorial frontiers. In the course of its entire history, however, the existence and evolution of civilization has been largely driven by aspirations for the formation of new borders or the territorial expansion of the ones already in place. Evidently, humanity has been immensely eager to render paramount the differences between people and hence the walls that have to separate dissimilar communities and ways of life.

The development of the world over the last decade and the years to come has the remarkable chance to alter the philosophy of separating and building walls. Numerous critics and analysts' have indicated the period between 1870 and 1914 - the so-called "golden age" of the internationally integrated world economy - as a noteworthy paradigm of a historical episode characterized by such impulses towards integration rather than division. To this end, the analysis of the contemporary processes observed at the international level entails the invoking of the principle according to which history can be illustrated as a spiral that repeats itself with every next part of it being at a higher evolutional stage (the so-called unification view of history). In harmony with such a formula is the outlook that the "modem spiral" of today's world prescribes the marginalization of national borders through a deep economic and social integration eased by the technological evolution and stimulated by the emergence of a new vision for the world as a harmonic global place. In order for such a vision to acquire dominance, it is of crucial importance that the differences among people, often utilized in the name of dividing nations and states, be rather viewed and realized as driving forces toward a global integration. The present study seeks to inquire into one of the most significant dimensions of this course of integration - the movement of people across borders.

The Current Historical Context termed "Globalization"

In my view, the analysis of the matter of the cross-border movement of persons necessitates the consideration of the socio-economic context of the contemporary historical moment of time. Presently, we live in a world where significant changes take place. And because we, people, in order to understand and explore something, tend first to name it, our modem society invented the term "globalization" designed to encompass these changes. Notwithstanding the obvious overuse and consequent distortion of the word, we cannot afford to ignore the fact that this term characterizes the historical juncture of which we are all contemporaries.

Incontrovertibly, the term "globalization" has generated a vast amount of literature. Yet, in spite of all overt debates, everyday news and pompous summits, the majority of people still confusingly ask themselves the simple question: "What exactly is this globalization and why are we so focused on it?" And they pose such questions rightfully given that the usage of the term in the public sphere is quite indiscriminate and inconsistent. In this regard, it can be asserted that the meaning and implications of the term in question are themselves subjects of a global discussion...