Australia The
Australian Border Force (
ABF), is a part of the
Department of Home Affairs, responsible for offshore and onshore
border control enforcement, investigations, compliance and
detention operations in Australia. The Force was established on 1 July 2015 merging the
Australian Customs and Border Protection Service with the immigration detention and compliance functions of the then
Department of Immigration and Border Protection. The ABF is a
law enforcement agency operating under the Australian Border Force Act 2015 with broadened legislative powers including the introduction of sworn officers. A new uniform was introduced and following the transition there was increase in the number of officers authorised to carry firearms.
Bangladesh ) Senior Warrant Officer (left in yellow/green outfit) applies a mechanical advantage control/hold to a US Marine during training.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is a paramilitary border security and anti-smuggling force under the Ministry of Home Affairs of
Bangladesh. BGB can trace back its origin to the establishment of the Ramgarh Local Battalion in 1795. This force is armed and although its primary duty is to protect the border, during national emergencies it can also be called upon to aid the government.
Canada Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is a law enforcement agency of the
Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Created in 2003, it amalgamated the enforcement activities performed by three separate government entities (
Canada Customs and Revenue Agency,
Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency). Traditionally unarmed, the arming of Border Services Officers, Investigators, and Inland Enforcement Officers began in 2007 and was completed in 2016. Officers are found at entry points to Canada (airports, marine entry points, and
land border crossing points with the United States).
Czech Republic Alien Police Service is a highly specialized unit of the police of the Czech Republic, which carries out functions relating to the detection of illegal migration, application of punitive measures against foreigners staying in the Czech Republic in violation of the law no. 326/1999 Coll. On the residence of foreigners in the Czech Republic and amending certain laws, as amended laws, the tasks arising from international agreements and directly applicable European Community legislation and solving the crimes committed in connection with the crossing of the state border and cross-border crime. The Alien Police Service was established by the Ministry of Interior no. 67/2008 establishing units of the Police of the Czech Republic nationwide. Alien Police of the Czech Republic is divided into:
Alien Police Service Directorate - is within the specified range managing, methodological and control department with jurisdiction throughout the Czech Republic and is directly subordinate to the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic
Alien Police Unions in the regional directorates of individual regions • Department of residence controls, search and escort • Department of residence matters • Department documents and specialized activities • Documentation Department • Department of International Relations (only in border areas)
Egypt The
Egyptian Border Guard is under the control of the
Ministry of Defence (Egypt). The Border Guard is a lightly armed
paramilitary unit of about 25,000 personnel, responsible for border surveillance, general peacekeeping, drug interdiction, and prevention of smuggling. During the late 1980s, the force was equipped with remote sensors,
night-vision binoculars, communications vehicles, and high-speed motorboats.
Finland The
Finnish Border Guard (; ), including the
coast guard, is the agency responsible for
border control related to persons, including passport control and border patrol. The Border Guard is a paramilitary organization, subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior in administrative issues and to the President of the Republic in issues pertaining to the president's authority as Commander-in-Chief (e.g. officer promotions). The
Finland-Russia border is a controlled border, routinely patrolled and protected by a
border zone enforced by the Border Guard. Borders to Norway and Sweden are
open borders, but the Border Guard maintains personnel in the area owing to its search and rescue (SAR) duties. There are two coast guard districts for patrolling maritime borders. The Border Guard has also detachments posted at ports and airports. In peacetime, the Border Guard trains
special forces and
light infantry and can be incorporated fully or in part into the
Finnish Defence Forces when required by defence readiness. The Border Guard has police and investigative powers in immigration matters and can independently investigate immigration violations. The Border Guard has search and rescue (SAR) duties, both maritime and inland. The Guard operates SAR helicopters that are often used in inland SAR, in assistance of a local fire and rescue department or other authorities. The Border Guard shares border control duties with
Finnish Customs, which inspects arriving goods, and the
Finnish Police, which enforces immigration decisions such as removal.
France The French
Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects, Directorate-General of Customs and Indirect Taxes is a law enforcement civilian agency responsible for levying indirect taxes, preventing smuggling, surveilling borders and investigating counterfeit money. The agency acts as a coast guard, border guard, sea rescue organisation and a customs service. Though it is a civilian service, agents are armed. In France, it is commonly known as "les douanes", which means customs ("la douane" is a border checkpoint). Agents are referred to as "douaniers", which means customs officers. In the French legal standards, the prosecution carries the burden of proof since the defendant is presumed innocent; but in customs procedures, the defendant carries the burden of proof.
French Border Police,
Police aux frontières or
PAF (former ''Police de l'air et des frontières''), also have to monitor the borders and conduct checks in some parts.
Germany Konrad Schumann jumping the border in 1961 In Germany, the Federal Police, a civilian agency subordinated to the
Ministry of Interior, is - besides other duties - responsible for border control tasks. Until 2005, the Federal Police was called
Federal Border Guard, and originally was a paramilitary organisation having
mandatory service in the 1970s, but had its military rank structure changed into a civilian one in the 1970s and lost its
wartime combatant status in the 1990s.
State Border Guard The
German state of
Bavaria reestablished its
State Border Police in the aftermath of the
European migrant crisis in 2018 again, after it was merged into the
Bavarian State Police in 1998 because of the
Schengen Agreement.
Ghana In October 1964, the
Border Guard Unit was formed as a police unit led by an assistant commissioner of police. The BGU acted as customs agents examining passengers and baggage aboard ships and aircraft. It forms part of the
Ghana Revenue Authority. The primary operation of BGU is the detection and apprehension of
illegal aliens as well as smugglers of aliens at or near the land borders.
Hong Kong Border guards in
Hong Kong consists of two civilian agencies: •
Customs and Excise officers handling customs duties at ports, airports and land crossing. •
Immigration officers handle people entering ports, airport (1) and land crossings (6) with mainland China.
Hong Kong Police Force officers patrol the border with mainland China, but they are not border guards at entry points. Prior to 1995, this role was performed by
British Army units stationed in
Hong Kong. Various police checkpoint booths (boundary crossing) are found along roads and are in the outside Closed Areas. Staffed by uniformed Hong Kong Police officers, vehicle occupants must present papers and/or permits in order to proceed to the border. These officers act as informal border guards, which do not exist in Hong Kong as there is no international boundary with mainland China. All three border agencies are responsibilities of the
Security Bureau.
Hungary In Hungary border control belongs to
police since 2007. There is no different organization for this role. Policemen serving on the border have the very same uniform as those inside the country. Previously the Frontier Guard or Border Guard was a separate agency, the
Border Guard.
Kyrgyzstan The
Frontier Forces are responsible for the border security of
Kyrgyzstan. The Frontier Forces are commanded by the
interior ministry, but are officially part of the
military of Kyrgyzstan. They had many disagreements of the
Frontier Service of
Uzbekistan and had a military drill with China in August 2013.
India The
Border Security Force (BSF) is India's largest border patrol agency and is the largest border guarding force of the world. Established in December 1965 in the aftermath of the
Second Indo Pakistani War after the
Central Reserve Police Force, the
Rajasthan Armed Constabulary and the
Punjab Armed Police were relieved from their duties of guarding the
Indo-Pakistani Border in the regions of
Jammu and Kashmir,
Rajasthan and
Punjab respectively. It is a component of the
Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). It has been guarding the
India-Pakistan Border since 1965 and the
Indo-Bangladeshi Border since 1971, when the Bangladesh gained independence after
Bangladesh Liberation War. The BSF is controlled by the
Ministry of Home Affairs The
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is an Indian border patrol force conceived on October 24, 1962, which is responsible for patrolling India's 2115 kilometer border with the
Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Although it previously patrolled the borders with the help of the
Assam Rifles it has been the sole border patrol agency for the entire border since 2002 when it took over the border guarding responsibilities from
Assam Rifles in the states of
Arunachal Pradesh and
Sikkim.Like the BSF it is also a Central Armed Police Force controlled by the
Ministry of Home Affairs. The Central Armed Police Force,
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) guards the
India–Nepal border and the
Bhutan–India border. The
Assam Rifles (AR) is another Central Armed Police Force tasked which has border patrol duties. It is tasked with guarding the
India–Myanmar border.The Assam Rifles is also controlled by the Ministry of Home Affairs, however the operational control of the AR is exercised by the
Indian Army.
Indonesia officers from the "Customs Tactical Unit" (CTU) Border security in
Indonesia are conducted: • At
seaports,
airports and land crossings :
Customs officers oversee traffic of goods and
Immigration officers oversee traffic of people. • At land borders : To defend, guard and patrol the land borders of Indonesia with
Malaysia (at
Borneo),
East Timor, and
Papua New Guinea which are mainly within dense forest and mountainous terrains is conducted by the "Border Patrol Task Force" (
Satuan Tugas Pengamanan Perbatasan abbreviated
Satgas Pamtas), which are tasked to the
Indonesian Army Infantry battalions. • At sea borders : Guarding and Patrolling of sea borders are conducted by joint-operation between
Maritime Security Agency,
Navy,
Coast Guard,
Maritime Police,
Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance and
Marine Customs.
Iran The
Islamic Republic of Iran Border Guard Command is the sole agency responsible for border patrol and control, acting under
Law Enforcement Force (which itself is part of
Armed Forces of Iran) since 2000. The agency also has
coast guard duties in maritime borders. The control of entry points in airports are conducted by
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Israel The Israel Border Police operates as a
gendarmerie under the supervision of the
Israel Police and was founded as part of the frontier corps before it became the Border Police.
Italy K9 unit at
Malpensa airport. In Italy the border police service is covered by the
Guardia di Finanza, part of the
Italian Armed Forces but under the operational control of the Finance Minister for its law enforcement duties; but there is also the Italian Customs Agency, a civilian administration that have the role of Customs Authority. Mostly, the Guardia di Finanza (or
Fiamme Gialle) fight against
smuggling,
illegal drug trafficking,
tax evasion and other financial crimes, even jointly to the Customs Agency. The
Immigration and Border Police also performs passport checks.
Latvia In Latvia the State Border Guard is in charge of protecting the border of the country. The armed organization is subordinate to the
Ministry of the Interior. Lithuania The State Border Guard Service is the organisation charged with controlling and maintaining the Lithuanian Border. The State Border Guard Service falls under authority of the Ministry of the Interior, which supervises and controls the implementation of border guard policy.
Macau Border patrol and immigration control in Macau are conducted by
Public Security Police Force of Macau at land entries (4) with China and at
Macau International Airport. Customs duties are performed by Macau Customs agency. Both border guards and customs officers are responsibilities of the
Secretariat for Security.
Malaysia Immigration Department is part of the
Malaysian government agency that was recently established in 2015 to guard the country's entry and exit points from illegal activities such as
smuggling,
illegal migration and
human trafficking. Before the establishment of the agency,
Malaysian borders was guarded by the
Malaysian Armed Forces and
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
Netherlands The Royal Marechaussee is the fourth organization within the Armed Forces, besides Army, Navy and Air Force. Besides patrolling the border it also has the function of Military Police and protects the
Royal Family.
North Korea Border Security Command and Coastal Security Bureau are collectively responsible for restricting unauthorized cross-border (land and sea) entries and exits, in the early 1990s the bureaus responsible for border security and coastal security were transferred from the
Ministry of State Security (North Korea) to the
Ministry of People's Armed Forces. Sometime thereafter, the Border Security Bureau was enlarged to corps level and renamed the Border Security Command. Previously headquartered in Chagang Province, the Border Security Command was relocated to Pyongyang in 2002.
Pakistan at Wagah border. The
Frontier Corps (FC) () are four
federal paramilitary forces recruited mostly from the tribal areas and led by officers from the
Pakistan Army. The FC are stationed in the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and
Balochistan provinces. There are four distinct forces, known as
FC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North),
FC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (South),
FC Balochistan (North), and
FC Balochistan (South). Each force is run by an "
inspector general" who is a regular Pakistani Army officer of at least
major-general rank, although the forces are officially part of the
Interior Ministry. The
Pakistan Rangers are a pair of paramilitary forces under the control of the Ministry of the Interior. In 1995 the Pakistan Rangers divided into two parts; the
Rangers Punjab headquartered in
Lahore and the
Rangers Sindh headquartered in
Karachi. The two forces now have different uniforms and chains of command. They are both part of the
Civil Armed Forces. There is a third corps headquarters in
Islamabad but it is only for units transferred from the other corps for duties in the federal capital.
Panama The
National Border Service also called SENAFRONT (abbreviation for ) is a police force specialized in the land border area and branch of the
Panamanian Public Forces. Its mission is to protect Panama's land borders and protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity and protect rights and freedoms of people, maintain public order, prevent and investigate crimes within their jurisdictions. Created in 2008, it is the border guard branch of the Panamanian Public Forces.
Russia , Russia The Border Guard Service of Russia is (since 2003) an agency of the
Federal Security Service. The agency considers itself a direct successor of the
Soviet Border Troops, and regularly celebrates the anniversary of the founding of the latter (May 28, 1918). This annual event, known as the Border Guards Day, is celebrated every year by the guards in active service as well as former servicemen in
Moscow and throughout the country.
Serbia The
Border Units (
Граничне Јединице) were the military border guard of Serbia, until their disbandment on 1 February 2007. The Border Units consisted of 17 battalions, totaling between 5,500 and 7,000 personnel. They were spread out over more than a hundred border posts. The fittest conscripts were assigned to the Border Units, and underwent training similar to
Special Forces. Under Serbian and also Yugoslav law, the Border Units were the only military formations that were allowed to conduct combat operations during peacetime. Today the border is guarded by the units of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs, specifically the Border
Police. Their tasks are defined as: monitoring of the state border, increasing the level of security on
airports and international waterways on the
Danube,
Sava, and
Tisa rivers, suppression of cross-border crime, risk analysis, controlling the movement and stay of foreigners, and operation of border crossings.
Singapore As an island, Singapore is surrounded by water and does not share land borders with other countries. The Border control at
Changi Airport,
Seletar Airport,
Singapore Cruise Centre,
Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore,
Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal,
Marina South Pier,
Tuas Checkpoint,
Woodlands Checkpoint and
Woodlands Train Checkpoint,
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and
Singapore Customs control the passengers, vehicles and commodities. Border security at Coastal area is the responsibility of the
Police Coast Guard, a specialised division of the
Singapore Police Force that monitors and enforces its maritime borders. Also
Republic of Singapore Navy support
Singapore Police Force,
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and
Singapore Customs South Korea Korea Immigration Service, a part of
Ministry of Justice, is responsible for protecting border control and Enforcement. Korea Immigration Service issues
Visa, controls traffic of Human at
Port of entry and
Immigration Korea Customs Service, is a part of
Ministry of Economy and Finance, responsible for enforce
Customs such as
Tariff and movement of goods at
Port of entry.
Spain In Spain, the law enforcement agencies
Guardia Civil and
National Police are responsible for protecting the borders. There is also a specialized service of the Department of Customs and Special Taxes, the
Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera, that has some general border guard duties.
Tajikistan The Border Troops of
Tajikistan, also called the Border Service, are part of the
Military of Tajikistan and answer to the
Interior Ministry. They often trained with the
Afghan Border Police, and jointly trained with the
military of Kyrgyzstan in 2011.
Thailand The Border Patrol Police is
Thailand's police force responsible for border security and counter-insurgency, and operates as the law-enforcement arm in conjunction with
Thahan Phran, the
ranger paramilitary arm of the
Royal Thai Army.
Turkey United Kingdom with Border Force's preceding agency,
UK Border Agency Border guard services are provided by the
Border Force, a law enforcement command within the
Home Office. Border Force is responsible for immigration and customs enforcement at
ports of entry into the UK, as well as in the UK's waters. Some
territorial police forces on the south-east coast, such as
Kent Police and
Essex Police's marine units, also carry out limited immigration functions. The UK's only land border, that with the
Republic of Ireland, is not regularly patrolled by the UKBF, but is the responsibility of the
Police Service of Northern Ireland.
United States and
Astar patrol for illegal entry into U.S. In the United States, border control is the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security. This jurisdictional authority is shared by
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (the primary inspection and enforcement component), the
U.S. Coast Guard (the primary interdiction components) and
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (the investigative component). U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is composed of three distinct enforcement arms: the Office of Border Patrol (OBP, otherwise known as the United States Border Patrol), the Office of Field Operations (OFO; commonly called by its former name 'Customs') and the Office of Air and Marine (OAM). OBP is tasked with securing the international border in-between the Ports of Entry (POE) and is a mobile enforcement agency that is structured and employed like any other uniformed police department in the United States. OFO is the federal law enforcement branch tasked with administering the POE's (air, land or sea) and is responsible for determining the admissibility of all persons and goods into the United States. The OAM operates all aircraft and watercraft for CBP and coordinates their interdiction efforts with either OBP, U.S. Coast Guard and/or with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The U.S. Coast Guard is the only branch of military in the United States that is not subject to the
Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. The reason being that both commissioned and petty officers are considered law enforcement officers with limited customs authority pursuant to 19 USC 1401. U.S. Coast Guard has jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has the same authority as both U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard, with the added jurisdiction of investigating violations that occur at both the border and the interior of the United States.
Vietnam Vietnam Border Guard (
Bộ đội Biên phòng Việt Nam) is a branch of
Vietnam People's Army and is under command of
Ministry of Defence (Vietnam). It has important roles in protecting Vietnam's sovereignty, maintaining security at land and sea borders. Vietnam Border Guard is established on 3 March 1959. It is organised into three levels: National Command, Provincial Command, and Local Post. ==See also==