Optimization for Secure and Humane Border Operations

Abstract

In 2020 tens of millions of migrants worldwide sought safety due to various push-pull factors such as economic, geographic, demographic, and societal challenges. Large movements of human flows toward national borders constitute a complex humanitarian crisis that requires appropriate preparations of border resources. Motivated by prevailing national agenda issues for improved border support, we identify common operational challenges along the border and discuss how they can be addressed using advanced analytics. Multiple stakeholders, corresponding goals, and complex decisions call for advanced optimization techniques to holistically treat such challenges. This chapter highlights how optimization can be employed to improve both the security and humanitarian aspects of border operations in the context of migration flows.