In the early 21st century, globalisation was widely hailed as the dominant force affecting politics, economics and societies. The exponential growth of the internet and other information and communication technologies, the reduced cost of international travel and the removal of barriers to trade appeared to be creating an interconnected world in which borders, if not being eroded, were increasingly irrelevant. Yet events over the past two years, particularly in Europe, have shown that this trend was illusory. In 2017, borders are more important to nation states than ever, and the trend now appears to be one of reaffirming, fortifying and securitising national borders. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, more than 40 countries around the world have built fences against more than 60 of their neighbours, and most cite security concerns and the prevention of illegal migration as justifications
