ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the contemporary resurgence of border crises, both territorial and digital, and asks whether these developments can be explained by modernity alone or whether a renewed focus on imperialism is also required. Through an analysis of border regimes and an exploration of territorial and digital developments, including revanchist warfare and digital surveillance, it is demonstrated that border crises are not simply the result of failures in modern statehood or globalisation. Rather, they are manifestations of imperialism, which endures within modern structures of governance. However, contrary to the idea of a deterritorialised empire, the chapter argues that territorial sovereignty and digital infrastructures operate concurrently to reinforce, rather than diminish, imperial control. Ultimately, the chapter calls for a conceptual shift: rethinking contemporary imperialism means moving beyond classical definitions to recognise its embeddedness in legal frameworks, financial infrastructures, digital governance and racialised migration regimes. Contemporary imperialism involves complex assemblages of claims and modes of governance, with Empires indeed persisting as fragmented yet effective configurations that contribute to the redefinition of political modernity itself.
