The efficiency and security of trade-related flows of people, both in and out of a country as well as within a country, are important to facilitate international and domestic business. More specifically, the ability for legitimate importers, exporters, investors, and their related facilitators (e.g., attorneys, accountants, business development professionals) to move across borders and through a country efficiently as they trade their goods and services is necessary to ensure the smooth flow of commerce. However, it is also important for countries to provide security at border crossings and to protect such businesspersons and others. They must strike a balance between the needs of business and the needs of national security.
In a well-functioning trading system, the movement of short-term visitors is often a minor administrative detail in the trading scheme. Yet in some countries with overly restrictive security policies, entry into and movement within a country creates logistical and financial obstacles for legitimate traders, and can act as a deterrent to trade. On the other hand, flows of people for illicit purposes can lead to instability in the trading system as a whole. Therefore, security policies and procedures are necessary to prevent entry of persons, such as terrorists and other criminals, who pose a danger to society.
The CLIR Flows of People section examines the laws, regulations, institutions and procedures for securing the entry process of a country as well the those governing the control of its borders against illegal entry of people
