‘Beautifully written, Mathew Longo’s book opens our eyes to the transformation of state borders in an era of new security technologies and big data. Longo’s approach is rather unique in its combination of anthropological fieldwork and normative argument. His target audience is not any academic discipline, it is citizens who want to understand the new threats to their freedom, and do something about it too.’ Rainer Bauböck – European University Institute, Florence

‘Longo crosses disciplinary boundaries in order to make visible the complex realities of contemporary borders. This richly detailed and conceptually imaginative work provides a valuable critical perspective on a topic of growing importance in the modern world.’ Joseph H. Carens – University of Toronto

‘Political theorists have expended much energy debating whether and how far states have the right to control movement across their borders, but have said little about what borders and border control might mean for the relationship between the state and its citizens. Matthew Longo offers a deep and powerful – and at times, disturbing – examination of this question in his important and timely study.’ Chandran Kukathas – The London School of Economics and Political Science

Reviews

‘Longo, an assistant political science professor at Leiden University, delivers a comprehensive study of the politics surrounding borders and border patrols, focusing on the technological advancement of and conceptual changes to security measures since 9/11. Writing about how data-sharing and biometric methods are used to surveil citizens at border crossings, he asserts that “data has finally collapsed the boundary between state and subject to the point where the subject is internally invaded.” The book’s in-depth analysis involves a blend of political theory—including analyses of the work of Michel Foucault and Hannah Arendt—and interviews with border security workers across the U.S. The book also examines modern border patrol strategies around the globe, including in South Africa and the European Union. Longo’s tone is urgent throughout, as when he writes, “This is not simply a question of citizenship and sovereignty, but at core, the future of human rights protection in a data-centric world.” Longo outlines possible solutions as well as current problems, stressing the growing necessity of “cross-border cooperation” between the U.S. and Canada as well as between the U.S. and Mexico, and proposing that neighboring countries create “collaborative zones” to accommodate migrants and refugees seeking safety. Longo’s debut, complex and impressive in its scope, signals the emergence of an important political theorist.’ Publisher’s Weekly

“The great merit of The Politics of Borders lies in using original empirical research to introduce rich and timely conceptual innovations and to put significant normative political issues on the agenda … By drawing our attention to the normative consequences flowing out of peripheral zones, co-bordering, and Big-Data border filtering, Longo has done a tremendous service to border studies.” Arash Abizadeh, in Perspectives on Politics.

“This is a well-written and carefully researched book that I will definitely use in my class on the political philosophy of migration. It is historical and empirical in method but absolutely contemporary in its consequences. It is analytic and prophetic at the same time, since we are likely to see more of the same consequences happening now in the future: the increasing heterogeneity (or neoliberalization) of sovereignty and its neo-imperial hegemony over human movement.” Thomas Nail, in Contemporary Political Theory.