Criminogenic Borders : The proliferation and para-criminality of borders
(2025) In Oxford Intersections- Abstract
- This article examines the paradoxical role of borders in shaping crime in the 21st century, particularly within the context of some of the world’s most profitable and harmful transnational and organized crime. Drawing on examples such as drug trafficking, environmental crime, and Internet-based crimes, it is argued that the proliferation of ‘borders’—both physical, bureaucratic, and digital—has created novel
opportunities for criminal exploitation. Rather than fearing or avoiding borders, many lawbreakers strategically utilize them, embedding illegal activities within the very infrastructures designed to otherwise demarcate and regulate markets, movement, and identity. In doing so, this article contributes to the growing fields... (More) - This article examines the paradoxical role of borders in shaping crime in the 21st century, particularly within the context of some of the world’s most profitable and harmful transnational and organized crime. Drawing on examples such as drug trafficking, environmental crime, and Internet-based crimes, it is argued that the proliferation of ‘borders’—both physical, bureaucratic, and digital—has created novel
opportunities for criminal exploitation. Rather than fearing or avoiding borders, many lawbreakers strategically utilize them, embedding illegal activities within the very infrastructures designed to otherwise demarcate and regulate markets, movement, and identity. In doing so, this article contributes to the growing fields ‘global’ and ‘border’ criminology. Ultimately, it argues for the grey-zone concept of para-
crime where legal and illegal practices are increasingly intertwined to a degree where one becomes almost indistinguishable from the other, and where borders—rather than serving solely as barriers to be overcome—have become central components of criminal enterprise. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/401b8649-b8a1-4344-bc82-587fb0c63c6e
- author
- Sausdal, David LU and Vigh, Henrik
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- in press
- subject
- keywords
- borders, boundaries, criminogenic, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, environmental crime, scams, AI, Para-crime, Grey criminology
- in
- Oxford Intersections
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 401b8649-b8a1-4344-bc82-587fb0c63c6e
- date added to LUP
- 2025-07-23 12:42:51
- date last changed
- 2025-07-23 12:56:47
@article{401b8649-b8a1-4344-bc82-587fb0c63c6e,
abstract = {{This article examines the paradoxical role of borders in shaping crime in the 21st century, particularly within the context of some of the world’s most profitable and harmful transnational and organized crime. Drawing on examples such as drug trafficking, environmental crime, and Internet-based crimes, it is argued that the proliferation of ‘borders’—both physical, bureaucratic, and digital—has created novel<br/>opportunities for criminal exploitation. Rather than fearing or avoiding borders, many lawbreakers strategically utilize them, embedding illegal activities within the very infrastructures designed to otherwise demarcate and regulate markets, movement, and identity. In doing so, this article contributes to the growing fields ‘global’ and ‘border’ criminology. Ultimately, it argues for the grey-zone concept of para-<br/>crime where legal and illegal practices are increasingly intertwined to a degree where one becomes almost indistinguishable from the other, and where borders—rather than serving solely as barriers to be overcome—have become central components of criminal enterprise.}},
author = {{Sausdal, David and Vigh, Henrik}},
keywords = {{borders; boundaries; criminogenic; transnational organized crime; drug trafficking; environmental crime; scams; AI; Para-crime; Grey criminology}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{Oxford Intersections}},
title = {{Criminogenic Borders : The proliferation and para-criminality of borders}},
year = {{2025}},
}