This resource hub is a curated collection of data on surveillance technologies in border governance worldwide. It maps the legal frameworks that shape the experiences of asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants, while highlighting the gap between the stated purposes of these technologies and their actual deployment in practice.
The hub organizes key economic, technological, and alternative critical arguments surrounding border surveillance. It is designed to support critical analysis of how surveillance technologies structure mobility and impact asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants. The methodology draws on triangulated sources and investigative journalism to trace how these systems operate on the ground.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Emmanouilidou, L. and Fallon, K. (2021). With drones and thermal cameras, Greek officials monitor refugees. Al Jazeera news.
ANNOTATIONS:In this journal, Athens has launched a piloted surveillance program for their refugee camps. The Greek Migration Ministry, with its control center overseeing all 40 refugee camps using Centaur’s surveillance tools, such as 40 cameras and motion sensors for each camp, is at the helm of this initiative. While face recognition technology has not been implemented yet, refugee advocate groups are concerned it will soon be implemented. European Digital Rights (EDRi) and Homo Digitalis are also worried about privacy issues. As for refugees, they have mixed feelings. There have been encounters in which surveillance has prevented incidents, but they also feel like they are in a prison rather than a refugee camp.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Knapton, S. (2022). Channel migrant smugglers to be tracked from space as Britain gets go-ahead to launch satellites. Horizon Technologies UK.
ANNOTATIONS:Britain has reached a significant milestone in its space industry with the launch of its first satellite. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted Spaceport Cornwall the license to launch the Amber-1 satellite, also known as Virgin Orbit, a project of the British start-up Horizon Technologies. This satellite, designed to track satellite phone and radar signals from boats, is set to perform scheduled routines. Its potential to prevent migrants from reaching the English Channel, prevent piracy and terrorism, and track illegal Russian tankers is significant to Britain's growing influence in the space industry. However, the delayed license grant has also led to a delay in Virgin Orbit's start-up mission, prompting the Science and Technology Select Committee to criticize the CAA for the delay. In this article, the author outlines the timeline for the satellite's Virgin Orbit plan and its centralized purpose.…
Author/s:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:Lee, D. et al. (2013). Disease Surveillance Among Newly Arriving Refugees and Immigrants — Electronic Disease Notification System, United States, 2009. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
ANNOTATIONS:In this report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classify the newly arriving refugees and immigrants between class A or B health conditions. Class A health conditions consist of numerous health conditions deemed inadmissible except with a medical waiver. HIV used to be considered a class A health condition until January 2010. Whereas class B health conditions are conditionally admissible in which refugees and immigrants must complete compliant health routines in the US. Before entering the country, overseas medical examinations must be completed for refugees and immigrants, such as Turbeculous screening. Approximately 75,000 refugees and 450,000 legal permanent immigrants enter the United States annually.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Molnar, P. and Pinto, K.J. (2023). Disruption Network Lab: How AI promotes discrimination against migrants. Allianz Foundation.
ANNOTATIONS:This article explains how AI promotes discrimination against migrants in an interview with Petra Molnar, a speaker at the Smart Prisons Conference. She talks about how authorities use AI to survey migrants and what actions are needed to stop human rights violations—the forms of AI and heavy surveillance vary widely, including across regions. The technology infringes on the breach of privacy and breaks international refugee law. They are ultimately impacting the lives of millions and the most vulnerable, such as people of color, women, and people who are differently abled. This article follows an interview format. There are questions, and answers follow suit.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Molnar, P. and Gill, L. (2022). Use of AI in migration and border control: A fundamental rights approach to the Artificial Intelligence Act. Access Now.
ANNOTATIONS:The proposed amendments to the Artificial Intelligence Regulation Act outline how European countries and regions have used AI in the context of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and migration patterns. The amendments outline the following;
1. Violations of the right to privacy, data protection and procedural rights
a. informed consent
2. Risk assessments by nature, violate the right to non-discrimination in the migration context indirect discrimination
3. Prohibit AI Polygraphs and similar tools in migration management
4.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Amnesty International. (2023, April 26). The EU must respect human rights of migrants in the AI Act. https://www.amnesty.eu/news/the-eu-must-respect-human-rights-of-migrants-in-the-ai-act/
ANNOTATIONS:In this open letter to Mr. Dragoş Tudorache, Member of the European Parliament and Mr. Brando Benifei, Member of the European Parliament, and Members of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), Members of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard urges them to prohibit the use of specific artificial intelligence (AI) systems which are incompatible with human rights of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in the AI Regulation Act. The prohibitions outline the following;
1. Automated risk assessments and profiling systems
2. Predictive analytic systems used to interdict, curtail and prevent migration
3.…
Author/s:Reliefweb, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:Ozkul, D. 2023. Automating Immigration and Asylum: The Uses of New Technologies in Migration and Asylum Governance in Europe. Oxford: Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford.
ANNOTATIONS:The use of new technologies is gradually rising in the migration and asylum fields across Europe. Several states have started using (or testing) them to control who enters their borders or to choose who gets
access to their territories or their protection mechanisms. The use of new technologies, and in particular automated decision-making systems, can expedite the decision-making processes to the benefit of
government agencies and some applicants. However, they can also lead to new vulnerabilities. While the use of new technologies has the potential to facilitate some decision-making processes, their inherent
risks for bias, discrimination, and potential ‘machine mistakes’ pose a significant threat to (potential) migrants and asylum seekers who are already disenfranchised and face challenges in seeking remedies. The use of new technologies can also lead to new relationships between the public and private sectors to develop, sustain and implement these technologies.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Nyoni, B. (2017). How artificial intelligence can be used to predict Africa’s next migration crisis. The UN Refugee Agency.
ANNOTATIONS:This article answers the question: How can artificial intelligence be used to predict? Babusi discusses the implications of using AI’s core structure for social good. Beginning in 2001, post-1994, Africa saw its largest waves of forced migration globally, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Global forced migration has had a negative impact since Africa is already struggling internally. Therefore, Babusi proposes predictive AI tools to help Africa mitigate migration. One benefit of this article is the examples of AI used for social good.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Dialani, P. (2021). Artificial Intelligence in Migration: Its Positive and Negative Implications. Analytic Insight.
ANNOTATIONS:This article explores the double-side answer to the question: AI in migration is helping to solve the challenges of the migration crisis. But is it truly effective? Priya begins by providing regions and their AI usage within migration. Large AI companies and governments have integrated AI tools into their systems, which has caused two experiences for refugees. They claim that Artificial intelligence in migration is helping countries manage international migration, which has increased and continues to increase rapidly. However, there have been negative consequences for refugees due to AI usage.…
THE USE OF DIGITALISATION
AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
IN MIGRATION MANAGEMENT
Author/s:European Migration Network
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:European Migration Network. (2022, February). THE USE OF DIGITALISATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MIGRATION MANAGEMENT. https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/topics/policy-issues/migration/EMN-OECD-INFORM-FEB-2022-The-use-of-Digitalisation-and-AI-in-Migration-Management.pdf
ANNOTATIONS:This report outlines the countries using AI algorithms to facilitate refugee resettlement processes. EU Member States, non-EU OECD countries, and Georgia have digitalized migration management and increased their digital imprint to refugees after the COVID-19 pandemic. With blockchain technology and AI process management, refugees encounter AI throughout their process. The report outlines privacy human rights infringements, explores the invasiveness and biases of AI algorithms for refugees, and enumerates the challenges within the legal world. One benefit of this report is that it requires countries to report their assessments annually, enabling analysts to establish trends and identify positive and negative implications for refugees. Another benefit was the amount of information reported in different countries using different AI systems.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Bircan, T., Korkmaz, E.E. Big data for whose sake? Governing migration through artificial intelligence. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 8, 241 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00910-x
ANNOTATIONS:Although human activity constantly generates massive amounts of data, these data can only be analysed by mainly the private sector and governmental institutes due to data accessibility restrictions. However, neither migrants (as the producers of this data) nor migration scholars (as scientific experts on the topic) are in a position to monitor or control how governments and corporations use such data. Big Data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are promoted as cutting-edge solutions to ongoing and emerging social, economic and governance challenges. Meanwhile, states increasingly rely on digital and frontier technologies to manage borders and control migratory movements, and the defence industry and military–intelligence sectors provide high-tech tools to support these efforts. Worryingly, during the design and testing of algorithmic tools, migrants are often portrayed as a security threat instead of human beings with fundamental rights and liberties. Thus, privacy, data protection, and confidentiality issues continue to pose risks and challenges to migrant communities and raise important questions for the public and decision-makers alike.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Verdict AI. (n.d.). Supporting Refugees with Artificial Intelligence. https://verdict-ai.nridigital.com/verdict_ai_summer19/refugees_artificial_intelligence
ANNOTATIONS:This article is about ethical AI usage around the world. With the proliferated surge of refugees and displacement migration, artificial intelligence has become a tool to help migration agencies help migrants in need. AI algorithms with matching tools enable them to find employment opportunities and relocation placements. This article benefits from introducing two new agencies directly impacting migrant communities. However, none of the examples or agencies dive deeper into the implications or functions of impacting the migrant community AI's direct use. The literature review can include the two agencies, the International Rescue Committee and the Mercy Corps, to spark discussions about its results in aiding refugees.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Mayer, B. (2017). Migration in the UNFCCC Workstream on Loss and Damage: An Assessment of Alternative Framings and Conceivable Responses. Transnational Environmental Law, 6(1), 107–129. doi:10.1017/S2047102516000078
ANNOTATIONS:Edited abstract: Discourses on 'climate migration' have played an instrumental role in initiating negotiations on loss and damage under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). However, to date, the framing of climate migration has not been clear: it has been considered a tool for reducing loss and damage (hence essentially a form of adaptation) or as a source of loss and damage for the migrants or other concerned communities. Moreover, proposed approaches to addressing climate migration as a loss and damage have extended beyond compensation and remain controversial among developed nations. In the highly politicized field of migration governance, however, this article submits that policy support and guidance in addressing loss and damage could prompt dangerous forms of political interference, such as the imposition of a Western objective of containing migrants to the Global South. Thus, experts suggest that top-down migration policies may not help vulnerable nations facing loss and damage in climate migration.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Korkmaz, E. E. (2020, December 8). Refugees are at risk from dystopian 'smart border' technology. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/refugees-are-at-risk-from-dystopian-smart-border-technology-145500
ANNOTATIONS:The US, EU, Canada, and Mexico have employed Big Data Analytics and digitalized technology to control their refugee migration. AI fuels migration processes, from satellites to automated decision-making and "smart" borders. The UN has cautioned everyone about the risk of digitalization and protecting the fundamental rights of refugees. However, agencies that work with refugees have not taken into account the advice and continue to monitor their refugee population with AI. Other non-profit agencies advocate for "meaningful informed consent."
This journal benefits from understanding how AI impacts the fundamental rights of asylum seekers and goes beyond introducing the understanding of legal consent. One prominent shortcoming is that the journal is short and can benefit from details to explore its original arguments.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Maass, D. and Zuker, A. (2024, July 8). Hundreds of Tech Companies Want to Cash In on Homeland Security Funding. Here's Who They Are and What They're Selling. Electric Frontier Foundation.…
ANNOTATIONS:This post discusses the multilayered dataset of the vendors who supply or market the technology for the US government's increasingly AI-fueled homeland security efforts—the U.S. Border-Homeland Security Technology Dataset published by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). The authors explore the range of AI companies that fuel "virtual walls" in the US, from the most prominent AI technological companies like Elbit Systems to smaller ones like Benchmark.
The post highlights the numerous AI technological companies that fuel migration agencies in the US and sheds light on the financial support the US government has implemented to fuel their AI technology. A limitation is the lack of detail regarding the implications of the dataset. The authors do not discuss how and why this AI-fueled technology directly impacts asylum seekers and refugees.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:UNHCR The UN Refugee Agency. (2022, April). United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Biometrics Report. https://help.unhcr.org/jordan/wp-content/uploads/sites/46/2022/04/Biometrics-EN_Final_April2022.pdf
ANNOTATIONS:The Biometrics report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) answers different FAQs about the UNHCR's use of biometric data to monitor refugees. The UNHCR uses biometrics, from fingerprints to iris scans, globally in 79 operations (locations). They ensure that data is multilayered, protected, and confidential. They do not share the data with third parties; they only share it with non-profit organizations that help UNCHR with refugees. They assure that refugees can deny the collection of their biometrics without harming the aid they will receive, such as relocation and cash assistance. The report answers FAQs but does not provide statistics on the 79 UNHCR operations that use biometric data surveillance.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Access Now. (2021, April 12). Iris scanning of refugees is disproportionate and dangerous — What’s happening behind IrisGuard’s closed doors? https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/irisguard-refugees-jordan/
ANNOTATIONS:Access Now highlights the infringement of human rights refugees experience by surrendering their biometrics. Marwa Fatafta, MENA Policy Manager at Access Now, and Isedua Oribhabor, U.S. Policy Analyst at Access Now, highlighted these concerns with direct quotes and confronted Imad Malhas, Co-founder and CEO of IrisGuard, on March 29 via letter. IrisGuard is a private technology company that provides biometric survaillance technology.
The short information on the Access Now website benefits from reports suggesting that refugees who refuse to provide biometrics impede them from receiving basic needs like cash and food assistance. Advocates could include this information in the fight for refugee rights protections.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:SKYQUEST. (2024, February). 3D Radar System Market Insights. https://www.skyquestt.com/report/3d-radar-system-market
ANNOTATIONS:The report projects that the 3D Radar System Market will grow economically by 2032. This technology uses signal processing for autonomous technology. The 3D Radar System Market ranges globally from defense, aerospace, automotive, and maritime. However, the report mentions a limitation of significant growth due to the high cost of innovation and implementation. One limitation is that the report does not mention human rights NGOs or non-profits that advocate for potential harm, nor the broader implications of the technologies on individuals. The projection could easily be included in the literature review to discuss the incentives to proliferate AI technologies in different forms of use.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Salam Handani, N. (2016, June 5). Looking back: The Refugee for Refugee Radio in Halabja. wadi. https://wadi-online.org/2022/06/11/looking-back-the-refugee-for-refugee-radio-in-halabja/
ANNOTATIONS:This short article highlights the work of four women who broadcast daily on the socially conscious Dange Nwe, or New Voice, radio station. Their radio show is called "By The Displaced People, For The Displaced People." Four displaced women leads it, discussing information from refugee camps around Halabja. Every day, between 8 AM and Noon, about 6,000 displaced Iraqis and Syrian refugees hear the broadcast in multi-lingual options. The article does not discuss AI-fuel technologies, the agencies that work with asylum seekers, or migration impacts. It could benefit from discussing the daily information the broadcast show shares to understand why the recipients prefer this radio show over others. Quotes can be extracted from this article and included in the literature review to address the appeal of their radio show.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:iStock by Getty Images. (n.d.). Night Vision Goggles. https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/night-vision-goggles
ANNOTATIONS:The website showcases numerous night vision technologies for multiple purposes, such as hunting or military use. It is also embedded with numerous photos and images to showcase each goggle and camera's advanced technology. In this holiday season, they advertise the goggles as the perfect gift. The project could include images from this website in the literature review to showcase emerging AI technologies. Several technologies raise concerns about their utilization and prompt discussions about how specific entities use them. Some of the images would also be appropriate for generating the conversation on how easily individuals can purchase them.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Alencar A., “Technology Can Be Transformative for Refugees, but It Can Also Hold Them Back,” Migration Information Source, July 27, 2023, https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/digital-technology-refugees
ANNOTATIONS:The article explores how migrants use technology in all stages of their journey for aid and how migration agencies intercept their usage to track them. Either way, migrants experience obstacles due to the lack of knowledge of digital technologies. For example, as migrants become more independent from coyotes by using GPS and encrypted mobile applications such as WhatsApp, many cannot access smartphones or Wi-fi hotspots. Most migrant communities experience these obstacles, and the few migrants that use digitalization technology get discovered by border agents. Moreover, agencies that work with refugees and migrants intercept and track migrants during their migration journey. The academic article benefits from the qualitative research design to successfully argue how digitalization has impacted migrants positively and negatively.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Redden, J. (2010, May 26). UNHCR rolls out satellite tracking system for vehicles. UNHCR The UN Refugee Agency. https://www.unhcr.org/news/unhcr-rolls-out-satellite-tracking-system-vehicles
ANNOTATIONS:The article discusses a 2009 project piloted by the HUMA-NAV initiative and sponsored by the Centre National d'Études Spatiales, France's space agency, to install automated tracking to their UN vehicles in Sudan, Chad, and Uganda. The UN refugee agency relies on vehicle navigation to capture and track data using GPS, satellite, and radio networks. The captured data is sent to the HUMA-NAV data center to be processed by the fleet management software through the Internet to see the fleet status and positions live. This short article explains the UN refugee agency's new tracking system and highlights the agencies that developed it, the project sponsors, and the locations where it operates. This information could be included in the literature review to address border surveillance concerns and generate discussion on refugees' impacts. Learning about the implications of these technologies on refugees would also be appropriate for generating legal protection.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Chandran, R. (2022, December 13). Special series: Surveillance tech keeps tabs on world's migrants. Context. https://www.context.news/surveillance/surveillance-tech-keeps-tabs-on-worlds-migrant-millions
ANNOTATIONS:This short article highlights the extensive use of surveillance technologies on global migrants. According to the U.N. migration agency, approximately 281 million migrants are displaced from their home countries and experience surveillance technology in one way or another. Advocates, such as Petra Molnar, the Refugee Law Lab associate director, argue that heavy surveillance infringes on their rights. The short article names several surveillance technologies and includes advocates and experts to highlight the importance of migrants' rights. This specific information can be included in the literature review for policy work.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Amnesty. (2024, February 5). Primer: Defending the Rights of refugees and Migrants in the Digital Age. https://reliefweb.int/report/world/primer-defending-rights-refugees-and-migrants-digital-age
ANNOTATIONS:The Amnesty International report analyzes the large quantity of data deriving from refugees and migration management. They discuss the wide range of technologies they use and the human rights issues that conflict with using them globally. The report suggests that this surveillance is an alternative to detention centers. However, with the rise of new technological innovations also comes an increase in misusage due to discrimination, racism, and unlawful surveillance. Governments have deployed technologies to their border agencies and are linked to human rights violations, which have caused negative impacts on refugees. The report benefits in outlining detailed information on the governments and the migrant agencies that use tracking and monitoring technologies.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Riley, T. (2023, September 26). How a private company helps ICE track migrants’ every move. Cyberscoop. https://cyberscoop.com/ice-bi-smartlink/
ANNOTATIONS:The article sheds light on the extensive surveillance technology used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (U.S. ICE) to monitor migrants. According to them, implementing numerous automated technologies is the "humane" alternative to detention centers. Recently, they have been using wrist monitors in addition to ankle monitors created by BI technology. However, their alternative option is not so "humane" to migrants. Migrants have shared that they have negative impacts on their mental and physical due to the constant monitoring.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Bone, E. and Bolkcom, C. (2003, April 25). Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress. Congressional Research Service. https://irp.fas.org/crs/RL31872.pdf
ANNOTATIONS:The report outlines the function and high use of Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones. The evolution of drones overlaps with the military implications in the US and on international assignments. As the need rises, so does the innovation of UAVs. For example, forces primarily use UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), but they began assigning them to battlefield assignments over time. Additionally, the report discusses some concerns about the function and implications of UAVs for Congress to consider, such as their high accident rates and technical limitations. However, the tradeoffs are higher, with a low risk for pilots and cost-effectiveness.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Nedelcu, M., & Soysüren, I. (2020). Precarious migrants, migration regimes and digital technologies: the empowerment-control nexus. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 48(8), 1821–1837. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2020.1796263
ANNOTATIONS:Edited abstract: This special issue makes an in-depth analysis of the various and complex interactions between risky (i.e., forced, vulnerable, undocumented, or deported) migrants' emancipatory practices enabled by information and communication technologies and the constraints created by technological tools used for surveillance and migration control. It explores the empowerment-control nexus by articulating the use of digital technologies – whether by migrants themselves, civil society actors, or institutions – with their mediating role in the processes of empowerment, surveillance, and migration control. It gathers together seven articles that draw on original empirical studies conducted across various geographical zones (European Union, Switzerland, France, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Mexico, and the United States) and different disciplines (anthropology, sociology, geography, media studies, law, and deportation studies). Building on this diversity, this collection of papers embraces the richness of several theoretical lenses. It reflects the varying degrees of (dis)entanglement between individual and institutional practices at micro and macro scales and at local, national, and supranational levels.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Bathke, B. (2023, June 28). Digital technologies – bane or boon for migrants seeking asylum in Europe?. InfoMigrants. https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/48042/digital-technologies--bane-or-boon-for-migrants-seeking-asylum-in-europe
ANNOTATIONS:The article discusses the various digital technologies many countries have implemented for migration. The author argues that, in theory, these advanced, AI-fueled technologies facilitate the backed-up systems, but the outcomes have outweighed the benefits. The outcome has negatively impacted asylum seekers due to its emotional, behavioral, and discriminatory nature.
The article details the technologies each country uses and the technological projects the country supports. However, like previous articles, it is just an introduction to AI awareness in migration, so the article is too broad.
Technological Testing Grounds - Migration Management Experiments and Reflections from the Ground Up
Author/s:Petra Molnar
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:Petra Molnar; EDRi; and the Refugee Law Lab (2020). “Technological Testing Grounds: Migration
Management Experiments and Reflections from the Ground Up.” Photography by Kenya-Jade Pinto.
ANNOTATIONS:The report examines the various AI-fuel technologies used in various countries for migration and outlines their impacts on vulnerable communities, such as refugees and migrants. In theory, AI technologies are supposed to help refugees, but in practice, their discriminatory nature has caused negative consequences. Petra argues that private companies benefit financially from deploying their AI technologies without considering the populations in which they are affected or holding any accountability.
In the report, Petra critiques the human rights violations of these technological projects by various technology companies, which often discriminate and profile existing negative beliefs, invade privacy, and limit freedoms. She calls for stricter governance, transparency, and the involvement of affected communities in decision-making. The literature review could include these plausible solutions to form different policy suggestions to protect vulnerable communities.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Osseiran, N. (2022, December 13). FEATURE-In Jordan, refugees scan irises to collect aid. But is it ethical?. Thomson Reuters Foundation. https://www.reuters.com/article/jordan-refugees-blockchain/feature-in-jordan-refugees-scan-irises-to-collect-aid-but-is-it-ethical-idUKL8N32R6GF/
ANNOTATIONS:The article discusses biometric databases formed via iris scans. Refugees in host countries use iris scanning to access their financial aid. It is a requirement to access any transactions, including basic needs such as buying groceries. Refugees shared that often, iris scanning fails the first time, and they would rather use fingerprints to access their aid. Human rights advocates argue for refugees' rights and highlight concerns refugees experience due to the heavy surveillance by host countries and migration agencies. However, agencies argue for the cost-benefits they experience rather than focusing on helping refugees.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Cockerell, I. (2021, July 21). Greece aims long-range sound cannons at migrants across its border. Coda Story. https://www.codastory.com/authoritarian-tech/sound-cannons-greece/
ANNOTATIONS:The article discusses sound cannons and LRAD technology used by Greek border agents, the US military, and US law enforcement to deter refugees and unwanted gatherings such as protests. These technologies hurt the recipients who experience these sound technologies such as permanent hearing loss. Agencies using these sound technologies have faced previous lawsuits over their many adverse effects; however, they are still allowed to use them today for various purposes.
The article benefits from focusing on one type of surveillance migration: sound technologies. Law enforcement agencies use these technologies to control refugees and other situations. The literature review could include examples of refugees and people affected by these sound technologies to highlight the negative implications.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Crockford, K. (2020, June 16). How is Face Recognition Surveillance Technology Racist?. ACLU. https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/how-is-face-recognition-surveillance-technology-racist
ANNOTATIONS:The article discusses anti-black technology used by US law enforcement and agencies. The types of technology range from profiling and street-level surveillance to facial recognition surveillance, in which the accuracy of AI algorithms is low for brown and black individuals. The Black Lives Matter movement exposed the racism embedded in technology, which disproportionately impacts Black and Brown communities and generates profits for large tech companies like Amazon, IBM, and Microsoft. Research by black scholars and the discussion of how racism is within the War on Drugs and Terrorism strengthen the claim of racism in technology. The racism embedded in these technologies could be included in the literature review to argue how AI technologies harm vulnerable communities. Several claims of the article address the intended use of xenophobia and would serve to generate discussion on racism in AI technology.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Fallon, K. (2020, November 11). UN warns of impact of smart borders on refugees: ‘Data collection isn't apolitical’. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/nov/11/un-warns-of-impact-of-smart-borders-on-refugees-data-collection-isnt-apolitical
ANNOTATIONS:The article discusses the findings of the UN report on global migration agencies' technologies. The UNHCR claims that the increased dependency on biosurveillance technology for refugees to track and trace rather than physical detention centers is the "humane alternative." Advocates argue that increased dependency on biosurveillance alternatives infringes on the privacy and human rights of migrants. The article mentions multiple technologies other agencies use, such as the World Food Program. The article explains how biosurveillance has evolved for various applications, from monitoring refugees to addressing COVID-19. Advocates highlighted the real implications and harms of these databases and surveillance, making them relevant for inclusion in the literature review. Several of these concerns address the overarching issue of monitoring surveillance on vulnerable communities and would generate discussions on infringing on refugees' rights.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Hassan, T. (2023, March 1). Human Rights Watch Letter to Frontex Executive Director Mr. Hans Leijtens. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/03/01/human-rights-watch-letter-frontex-executive-director-mr-hans-leijtens
ANNOTATIONS:The letter from Tirana Hassan, the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, to Frontex Executive Director Mr. Hans Leijtens expresses human rights concerns for refugees due to Frontex's heavy surveillance. She directs the main concerns in Libya, Croatia, Greece, and the central Mediterranean and urges Frontex to apply their shared recommendations outlined in the letter. Lastly, Tirana welcomes open conversations with Mr. Hans Leijtens for constructive engagement and complete transparency from Frontex. The letter benefits from the reports presented by Human Rights Watch from 2021 to the present.…
Author/s:Geoffrey Alan Boyce, Samuel N. Chambers, Sarah Launius
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:Boyce, G.A. et al. (2019, February 11). Democrats’ ‘smart border’ technology is not a ‘humane’ alternative to Trump’s wall. The Hill. https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/429454-democrats-smart-border-technology-is-not-a-humane-alternative-to-trumps/
ANNOTATIONS:The short opinion discusses how Congress has accepted a cost-effective and humane alternative to Trump's border called a "smart border," which increases monitoring surveillance. Rather than spending 5.7 billion on the physical US-Mexico border, Congress created a technological barrier that migrants cannot "climb over." Drones, towers, and sensors create a technological barrier for southern migrants to prevent unauthorized crossings. The opinion benefits from research conducted by three researchers who discussed the technologies used in the US-Mexico border states such as Arizona. This short opinion has potential to become a published academic article. As such, the introduction of AI and refugees could be included in the literature review for another example of harm towards people in need.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:EDRi. (2022, December 6). Civil society calls for the EU AI act to better protect people on the move. https://edri.org/our-work/civil-society-calls-for-the-eu-ai-act-to-better-protect-people-on-the-move/
ANNOTATIONS:The short article summarizes the open letter sent to the European Parliament to amend the recent AI Act. It specifically outlines the recommended amendments to protect migrants and asylum seekers from the AI technologies employed by EU institutions. The letter highlights how each AI technology is embedded with racism and poses significant risks to vulnerable communities in need. The letter was signed by 195 organizations and organized by Civil society. The main claims of the open letter in this text could be included in the literature review for ethical AI regulations. Several of these claims address the lack of existing AI technology regulations and would serve as a reason to urge policymakers to amend the AI Act.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:United Nations General Assembly. (2020, November 10). UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Report to the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n20/304/54/pdf/n2030454.pdf
ANNOTATIONS:Governments and United Nations agencies are developing and using emerging digital technologies in uniquely experimental, dangerous, and discriminatory ways in the context of border and immigration enforcement. By so doing, they are subjecting refugees, migrants, stateless persons, and others to human rights violations and extracting large quantities of data from them on exploitative terms that strip these groups of fundamental human agency and dignity. The present report highlights how digital technologies are being deployed to advance the xenophobic and racially discriminatory ideologies that have become so prevalent, in part due to widespread perceptions of refugees and migrants as per se threats to national security. In other cases, discrimination and exclusion occur without explicit hostility but because of the pursuit of bureaucratic and humanitarian efficiency without the necessary human rights safeguards. The report also notes that vast economic profits associated with border securitization and digitization are a significant part of the problem.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Rajiarchive, D. (2020, December 10). How our data encodes systematic racism. MIT Techmology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/12/10/1013617/racism-data-science-artificial-intelligence-ai-opinion/
ANNOTATIONS:The article examines the myth of white supremacy and explains how datasets and machine learning embed it, resulting in racist products. For example, law enforcement uses policing predictive systems that, in theory, are supposed to predict crimes and alert officers on time to prevent them. In practice, though, predictions have targeted and harassed communities of color. Contemporary machine-learning systems incorporate racialized languages, beliefs, and social norms reinforced by the war on drugs and other misconceptions.
The article is based on personal experience, which highlights the real impact of machine learning on communities of color. It examines machine learning in law enforcement, detailing its applications and underlying causes.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Rhue, L. (2019, January 3). Emotion-reading tech fails the racial bias test. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/emotion-reading-tech-fails-the-racial-bias-test-108404
ANNOTATIONS:The researcher examined the bias in AI-fueled face recognition algorithms in this academic journal. She conducted her study using two AI software, Face++ and Microsoft's Face API, and a data set of 400 NBA player photos from 2016 to 2017. Her findings highlight that this AI software reinforces existing bias. Black NBA player faces resulted in negative scores compared to their white counterparts, even though they shared similar facial expressions. The findings in this study could easily be included in the literature review as evidence of AI technologies' harm to vulnerable communities. Several of the findings prove the xenophobic and racist assertions that advocates use to generate discussion on legal protections.…
Technological Violence Through High-Risk Experiments at the Border
Author/s:Petra Molnar
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:Molnar, P. (2022, September). Technological Violence Through High-Risk Experiments at the Border. Goethe-Institut. https://www.goethe.de/prj/aia/en/bet/tgd.html
ANNOTATIONS:In her article, lawyer Petral Molnar discusses the three implications AI surveillance is causing. First, the impacts on the population that these technologies are being piloted. Second, the exclusion of the voices and rights of these populations. And last, the rise of a multi-billion border industry. She outlines the different AI surveillance technologies used in each location and shares the experiences of individuals whom they impacted. Two key points of the article are the mention of technology companies fueling the borders and making high profits and the call for the inclusion of vulnerable communities.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Noubel, F. (2023, April 15). Why do Western governments delegate border control to AI more and more? An interview with Petra Molnar. ALICE News. https://alicenews.ces.uc.pt/?lang=1&id=43015
ANNOTATIONS:Filip Noubel of Global Voices conducted an email interview with Petra Molnar, a lawyer and anthropologist specializing in technology, migration, and human rights. Her responses introduced the technologies implemented in borders, the AI Act, and the experiences of refugees after constant surveillance. She argues that even though the AI Act is the first step for AI regulation, it is still insufficient since it leaves out important recommendations to protect refugees. The interview is detailed with technological companies that innovated border surveillance.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Chander, S. and Smith, A. (2023, April 24). As AI Act vote nears, the EU needs to draw a red line on racist surveillance. euro news. https://www.euronews.com/2023/04/24/as-ai-act-vote-nears-the-eu-needs-to-draw-a-red-line-on-racist-surveillance
ANNOTATIONS:The article discusses the implications of AI surveillance in Europe. During the time it was published, the European Parliament was voting on the AI Act, a legislative piece to regulate AI usage and call for detailed regulations to protect the migrant community. A primary concern was the profiling of the migrant population based on skin color, with AI technology worsening racism. However, these concerns are too broad, and advocates are concerned that the AI Act will be useless in protecting everyone. Claims in this article could easily be included in the literature review for the urgency of amending the AI Act to be the first useful legal framework to protect vulnerable communities. This call to action addresses the urgency and would serve to generate discussion on the harms of emerging technologies.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Campbell, Z. and D’Agostino, L. (2022, July 26). Predicting migration flows with Artificial Intelligence - The European Union’s risky gamble. https://disclose.ngo/en/article/predicting-migration-flows-with-artificial-intelligence-the-european-unions-risky-gamble
ANNOTATIONS:The article's authors criticized the European Union for developing AI technology for migration flows. In theory, this technology and software predict migration flows so European countries can be prepared with resources and the legal system to host them; however, in practice, these technologies have discriminated against people in need. According to several documents obtained by Disclose, the tool called ‘IT FLOWS’ could quickly become a formidable weapon for controlling and harassing people seeking refuge in Europe. The Italian Red Cross and Oxfam provide information on migrants to fuel the software for prediction. The article also mentions a couple of AI tools that are used on migrants, from AI lie detectors to mobile data extraction.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Spinelli, F. (2023, June 15). AI And Migration: Hi-Tech To Tighten Borders Or Save Lives At Sea. WORLDCRINCH. https://worldcrunch.com/migrant-lives-1/artificial-intelligence-migration
ANNOTATIONS:This article discusses how the European Parliament approved the EU's first act regulating AI. While the act bans some potentially abusive technologies, it allows others that authorities could use to track, control, and deny aid to people seeking refuge in Europe rather than assisting them. As such, forecasting tools and remote biometric surveillance are allowed on migrants. Similarly, systems collaborating with Huawei track seaports and migrants sleeping in parks. The reality for many is that technology harms them rather than helps them. One benefit of the article is that it talks about the AI Act leading to its enactment and mentions new technological companies fueling the AI technologies employed in migrant communities.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Molnar, Petra. (2018, October 16). Governments' use of AI in immigration and refugee system. Policy Options Politiques. https://policyoptions.irpp.org/fr/magazines/october-2018/governments-use-of-ai-in-immigration-and-refugee-system-needs-oversight/
ANNOTATIONS:The article discusses the use of AI in Canada's immigration and refugee decisions. Since 2014, Canada has been experimenting with AI technologies to replace what humans usually do. These AI technologies threaten to create a laboratory for high-risk experiments within an already highly discretionary system. Vulnerable and under-resourced communities, such as noncitizens, often have access to less robust human rights protections and fewer resources with which to defend those rights. Irresponsibly adopting these technologies may only serve to exacerbate these disparities. As Canada experiments with using artificial intelligence (AI) in its immigration and refugee system, we must ensure the system protects human rights.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Forster, M. (2022), Refugee protection in the artificial intelligence era: A test case for rights,
Research Paper, London: Royal Institute of International Affairs, https://doi.org/10.55317/9781784135324.
ANNOTATIONS:This paper examines the primary protections proposed to make AI more responsive to human rights, including the upcoming EU AI Act. The paper introduces artificial intelligence (AI) to help decision-making in high-risk fields such as asylum and refugee protection. Contemporary, automated technologies process people and predict risks in contested circumstances, greatly appealing to their users. Wrong or biased decisions about refugee status can have life-and-death consequences, including the return of refugees to places where they face persecution, contrary to international law. Existing refugee decision-making systems are complex and often affected by flaws, including a lack of legal remedies—issues that can be exacerbated when overlayed with AI.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:AMES NEW. (2023, October 26). Ukrainian refugees make AI breakthrough. https://amesnews.com.au/latest-articles/ukrainian-refugees-make-ai-breakthrough/
ANNOTATIONS:This very short article introduces a Ukrainian refugee couple who has created a world-first artificial intelligence tool that takes prospective property buyers on personalized, interactive virtual tours of properties for sale. Petro Zghirin and Maryna Kuhai fled their home city of Odessa when the Russians attacked. They came to Australia a year ago as refugees and have since created their virtual tool with the support of the refugee settlement agency AMES Australia.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Kauffman, K., & Williams, A. (2023). Turk Wars: How AI Threatens the Workers Who Fuel It. Stanford Social Innovation Review. https://doi.org/10.48558/NRZX-6Q03
ANNOTATIONS:In this article, researchers discuss how the tech-company, AI Insights, issued a huge request for services on Amazon Mechanical Turk. Amazon Mechanical Turk is an Amazon-owned marketplace, a globally crowdsourced pool of individual data workers who can accept small digital tasks for pay. Those tasks can vary widely: taking surveys, labeling objects in images, annotating data, repeating words aloud, or researching. Many “Human Intelligence Tasks” (HITs) listed on Mechanical Turk train artificial intelligence programs to improve their ability to recognize information. The compensation also varies widely, starting at just a few cents per task, which means that actually making a living through Mechanical Turk requires working in volume.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Deck, A. (2023, April 19). AI translation is jeopardizing Afghan asylum claims. rest of world. https://restofworld.org/2023/ai-translation-errors-afghan-refugees-asylum/
ANNOTATIONS:This article discusses how AI translation jeopardizes Afghan asylum claims. However, these cost-cutting translations introduce errors and put refugees at risk. In 2020, Uma Mirkhail got a firsthand demonstration of how damaging a bad translation can be. A crisis translator specializing in Afghan languages, Mirkhail worked with a Pashto-speaking refugee who had fled Afghanistan. A U.S. court had denied the refugee’s asylum bid because her written application did not match the story told in the initial interviews.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Barbosa, L. and Macedo, G. (2022, June 8). Ethics & Artificial Intelligence: Migration. Carnegie Council. https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/media/article/ethics-artificial-intelligence-migration
ANNOTATIONS:In this article, the authors share one of the biggest refugee crises since World War II. Within weeks of the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than 4 million people fled the country, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Although international media attention focuses on Eastern Europe, the Global South is desperate. Countries in this region are estimated to have absorbed two-thirds of the 82.4 million global refugees. The article has a couple of shortcomings. First, specific governments, authorities, and technology names are not outlined.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Beduschi, A. and M. McAuliffe, 2021. Artificial Intelligence, migration and mobility: implications for policy and practice. In: World Migration Report 2022 (M. McAuliffe and A.…
ANNOTATIONS:Chapter 11 of the World Migration Report 2022 examines AI's implications for policy and practice in the context of migration and mobility through the number of existing international human rights frameworks of rules, standards, and principles. The legal protections are important because the design, development, implementation, and expansion of AI technologies worldwide have the potential to harm or strengthen human rights.
Findings in this chapter could easily be included in the literature review on legal protection in migration and mobile communities. Several of the policy and practice findings address the concerns of human rights advocates and would generate discussion on the urgency of their human rights protections.
Author/s:Maggie Prezyna, Hilary Evans Cameron, Ana Beduschi, Tuba Birca
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:Borders & Belonging: artificial intelligence and migration? (n.d.). OpenDemocracy. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/podcasts/podcast-borders-belonging/artificial-intelligence-migration/
ANNOTATIONS:Borders & Belonging brings together hard evidence with stories of human experience to kindle new thinking in advocacy, policy, and research. Top researchers contribute articles that complement each podcast with a deeper dive into the themes discussed. Climate change and other disasters are displacing ever more people. Could artificial intelligence help predict impending crises and where humanitarian aid will be needed? Could algorithms be used to match refugees to regions where they will have the best chance of thriving? And what happens when you take human judgement out of the process, or if data is used to exclude some migrants unjustly?…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Nalbandian, L. An eye for an ‘I:’ a critical assessment of artificial intelligence tools in migration and asylum management. CMS 10, 32 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-022-00305-0
ANNOTATIONS:This academic article examines how, in theory, emerging AI/automated technology was initially designed to serve people but has had harmful consequences in practice. In other words, these technologies should leverage powerful information processors and 'smart' algorithms to handle time-consuming data analysis efficiently. However, it soon became apparent that artificial intelligence's capacity to scrape and analyze big data would be particularly useful in surveillance policies. Border surveillance in migration systems quickly increased due to its efficiency and cost-efficiency. The claims in this academic article could easily be included in the literature review for policymakers to create effective protection rights. Several examples address advocates' concerns and would generate discussion among the greater public.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Molnar, P. (2023, December 20). EU’s AI Act Falls Short on Protecting Rights at Borders. Just Security. https://www.justsecurity.org/90763/eus-ai-act-falls-short-on-protecting-rights-at-borders/
ANNOTATIONS:This article discusses how the European Union’s new law regulating artificial intelligence falls short of protecting the most vulnerable. Late in the night on Friday, Dec. 8, the European Parliament reached a landmark deal on its long-awaited Act to Govern Artificial Intelligence (AI Act). After years of meetings, lobbying, and hearings, the EU member states, the Commission, and the Parliament agreed on the act's provisions, awaiting technical meetings and formal approval before the final text of the legislation is released to the public. However, the AI Act fell short of regulating heavy technologies and protecting the rights of vulnerable communities.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Hawk, S. J. (2023, November 9). New AI Executive Order Promotes Immigration Of Highly Skilled Workers. Barnes & Thornburg LLP. https://btlaw.com/insights/alerts/2023/new-ai-executive-order-promotes-immigration-of-highly-skilled-workers
ANNOTATIONS:This brief alert, posted on October 30, explains that President Joe Biden signed the Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, an initiative designed to position the United States as a leader in balancing the risks and potential of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. This order, the first general guide issued by the federal government, also addresses the impact on employers of the increasing implementation of AI. The order additionally updates AI expertise attraction, expands work visas, changes to easier visa renewals for AI talent workers, and updates Schedule A and the Policy Manual accordingly.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Molnar, P. (2020, November 9). Technological Testing Grounds: Border tech is experimenting with people’s lives. EDRi. https://edri.org/our-work/technological-testing-grounds-border-tech-is-experimenting-with-peoples-lives/
ANNOTATIONS:This brief article introduces border surveillance used by different governments. These technologies, developed by large tech companies such as Palantir, contribute to increasing xenophobic practices against refugees. This article serves as an introduction to emerging AI technologies and their broader implications for the audience.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Vavoula, N. (2021). Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Schengen Borders: Automated Processing, Algorithmic Profiling and Facial Recognition in the Era of Techno-Solutionism. European Journal of Migration and Law, 23(4), 457-484. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718166-12340114
ANNOTATIONS:Abstract: Since the past three decades, an elaborate legal framework on the operation of EU-Schengen information systems has been developed, whereby in the near future a series of personal data concerning almost all third-country nationals (TCN s) with an administrative or criminal law link with the EU/Schengen area will be monitored through at least one information system. This article provides a legal analysis on the embedment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools at the EU level in information systems for TCN s and critically examines the fundamental rights concerns that ensue from the use AI to manage and control migration. It discusses automated risk assessment and algorithmic profiling used to examine applications for travel authorisations and Schengen visas, the shift towards the processing of facial images of TCN s and the creation of future-proof information systems that anticipate the use of facial recognition technology. The contribution understands information systems as enabling the datafication of mobility and as security tools in an era whereby a foreigner is risky by default. It is argued that a violation of the right to respect for private life is merely the gateway for a series of other fundamental rights which are impacted, such as non-
discrimination and right to effective remedies.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Farraj, Achraf. (2011). Refugees and the biometric future: the impact of biometrics on refugees and asylum seekers. Columbia Human Rights Law Review, 42(3), 891-942.
ANNOTATIONS:This article examines the proliferated use of biometric technology, such as facial recognition, iris scan, and DNA, to manage refugees and asylum seekers. Governments are using these types of biometric surveillance in government-led technological programs. The US, Europe, and some Middle Eastern countries employ these new methods of management and surveillance to improve efficiency, aid, and prevent fraudulence. However, non-profit organizations have raised concerns about using these biometric technologies, including privacy rights issues. Technology errors that negatively impact refugees and asylum seekers raise these concerns. Ultimately, Farraj advocates for legal protections for the vulnerable population.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:INELI CIGER, Meltem, Artificial intelligence and resettlement of refugees : implications for the fundamental rights, EUI, RSC, Working Paper, 2023/44, Migration Policy Centre - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/75689
ANNOTATIONS:Abstract: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in refugee resettlement can enable a high volume of resettlement cases to be decided quickly, lower the costs associated with resettlement, and foster the integration of refugees. However, the expanded use of AI in the context of resettlement may inevitably create serious issues in terms of human rights and interfere with the principle of non-discrimination, the right to an effective remedy, and the right to privacy and data protection. Despite growing academic
interest in the impact of various uses of AI in asylum decision-making processes and migration management, there is a gap in the legal literature on the use of AI in the context of resettlement, and
whether such use violates refugees’ fundamental rights. This study aims to fill this gap by examining
the existing and potential use of AI throughout the resettlement of refugees and its implications,
including the benefits and risks of such use on the human rights of individuals who are waiting to be
resettled or those who are resettled.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Loewenstein, A. (2023). The Palestine laboratory: how Israel exports the technology of occupation around the world. London ; New York, Verso Books.
ANNOTATIONS:The book discusses the inhumane use of AI-enabled technologies on refugees, focusing on the Palestinian population. It lists technology companies and their services and explains how governments and local entities use their technologies. Instead of aiding communities, these technologies harm vulnerable communities seeking refuge. Accordingly, the AI technology industry will be worth US $11.6 billion globally by 2026. The book is a testament to the realities of contemporary refugees and AI technologies. It is rich with information on the technology companies creating AI technologies, the entities utilizing these technologies, and the implications of their usage.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Mölnar, P. (2024). The Walls Have Eyes: Surviving migration in the age of Artificial Intelligence. New York; New York, The New Press.
ANNOTATIONS:In 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it was training “robot dogs” to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border against migrants. Four-legged machines equipped with cameras and sensors would join a network of drones and automated surveillance towers—nicknamed the “smart wall.” This is part of a worldwide trend: as more people are displaced by war, economic instability, and a warming planet, more countries are turning to AI-driven technology to “manage” the influx. Based on years of researching borderlands across the world, lawyer and anthropologist Petra Molnar’s The Walls Have Eyes is a truly global story—a dystopian vision turned reality, where your body is your passport and matters of life and death are determined by algorithm. Examining how technology is being deployed by governments on the world’s most vulnerable with little regulation, Molnar also shows us how borders are now big business, with defense contractors and tech start-ups alike scrambling to capture this highly profitable market. With a foreword by former UN Special Rapporteur E.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Del Valle, G. (2022, August 3). The Most Surveilled Place In America. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/c/23203881/border-patrol-wall-surveillance-tech
ANNOTATIONS:The article emphasizes border enforcement's extensive use of surveillance technology in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. Via the US-Mexico border, migrants believe they strategically camouflage themselves from border agents, but in reality, surveillance technologies monitor them for hours. Del Valle shares her first-hand experience in Arizona, talking with border patrol agents and local activists. She witnesses migrants struggle during their journey and the deadly harms of the desert. The number of deaths increases per year as authorities force migrants to travel through the desert to avoid detection, but they fail. The article sheds light on a location surrounded by surveillance technology and has negative impacts on migrants seeking asylum refuge.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Cramer, M. (2020, February 5). Judge Reverses Convictions of Activists Who Left Water for Migrants. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/us/tucson-border-activists-conviction-reversed.html
ANNOTATIONS:The article explains how four women, Natalie Hoffman, Oona Holcomb, Madeline Huse and Zaachila Orozco-McCormick, were arrested for providing food and water for Migrants at Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. Their charges were entering the refuge without a permit, driving on a restricted-access road, and leaving behind food and water. Ultimately, their convictions were reversed by Judge Rosemary Márquez of the United District Court in Arizona, which provided a win for many people who help migrants in Arizona, including the faith-based organization No More Deaths, which is protected under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:The Guardian. (2019, November 20). Arizona activist who gave migrants humanitarian aid acquitted in second trial. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/20/arizona-activist-migrants-trial-scott-warren
ANNOTATIONS:The short article discusses the trial of Scott Warren, who was arrested on the charges of aiding two male migrants in Arizona. US agents arrested him with the two male migrants at The Barn, which is a humanitarian aid station after agents were surveilling the location from a tip they received. Scott Warren is a member of No More Deaths, which is a humanitarian aid organization that works to end death and suffering along the US-Mexico border. The literature review can include information on legal trials about border crossings to inform the audience of the inhumane treatment Border Patrol and US agents do to harm migrants as a deterrence strategy.
Author/s:UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:UNHCR The UN Refugee Agency. (2022, March). Climate Change, Displacement and Human Rights. https://www.refworld.org/reference/themreport/unhcr/2022/en/124057
ANNOTATIONS:The coherent report from the UNHCR The UN Refugee Agency explains the consequences of climate change on displacement in individuals and their human rights. The report highlights that extreme weather, becoming more frequent and intense with climate change, dramatically impacts
displaced persons. Within the same country, internal displacement occurs as a consequence of which governments are responsible for aiding displaced individuals caused by climate change. Under international human rights law, states must uphold the human rights of all individuals under their jurisdiction, including those displaced by climate change. A UN Human Rights Committee decision in January 2020 noted that, under international human rights law, people displaced across borders in the context of climate change and disasters have the right not to be returned to a country where they would face a serious risk of irreparable harm to their right to life. The literature review can include international and national laws that protect displaced individuals' rights caused by climate change.…
Author/s:Mijente, Just Futures Law, No Border Wall Coalition
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:MIJENTE, JUST FUTURES LAW, & NO BORDER WALL COALITION. (2021). The Deadly Digital Border Wall. https://notechforice.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Deadly.Digital.Border.Wall_.pdf
ANNOTATIONS:Executive Summary: A “digital border wall” has been steadily built along the U.S.-Mexico border for the last four presidential administrations, overseen by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and supported by Democrats and Republicans alike. The Biden administration plans to increase this digital border wall funding, marketing it as a “gentler” or “smarter” alternative to Trump’s border wall. But these technologies are an extension of the Trump administration’s border infrastructure buildup, not a break with it. Funding these border surveillance technologies will only continue the massive and unchecked expansion of government surveillance on immigrants and communities along the Southwest border and far into the interior.
Author/s:Mizue Aizeki, Geoffrey Boyce, Todd Miller, Joseph Nevins and Miriam Ticktin
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:Mizue Aizeki, Geoffrey Boyce, Todd Miller, Joseph Nevins, and Miriam Ticktin. “Smart Borders or a Humane World?” The Immigrant Defense Project’s Surveillance, Tech & Immigration Policing Project, and the Transnational Institute, October 2021.
ANNOTATIONS:Executive Summary: On January 20, 2021, his first day in office, President Biden issued an executive order pausing the remaining construction of the southern border wall initiated during the Trump administration. Soon after, the White House sent a bill to Congress, the US Citizenship Act of 2021, calling for the deployment of “smart technology” to “manage and secure the southern border.”
BIBLIOGRAPHY:del Bosque, M. (2023, February 8). Facial recognition bias frustrates Black asylum applicants to US, advocates say. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/08/us-immigration-cbp-one-app-facial-recognition-bias
ANNOTATIONS:The government announced in early January that the new CBP One mobile app would be the only way migrants arriving at the border could apply for asylum and exemption from Title 42 restrictions. It said it would “reduce wait times and help ensure safe, orderly and streamlined processing.” However, the app is used by racist AI algorithms that create errors for Black and African asylum seekers when they try to use it. Non-profit organizations have attempted to solve this issue by putting construction lights around their camps, yet this momentary solution does not work for kids younger than 6. This means families cannot apply for asylum using the CBP one application and are constantly being excluded.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Kaurin, D. (2019, May 15). Data protection and digital agency for refugees (World Refugee Council Research Paper No. 12). Centre for International Governance Innovation. https://www.cigionline.org/publications/data-protection-and-digital-agency-refugees/
ANNOTATIONS:Abstract: For the millions of refugees fleeing conflict and persecution every year, access to information about their rights and control over their personal data are crucial for their ability to assess risk and navigate the asylum process. While asylum seekers are required to provide significant amounts of personal information on their journey to safety, they are rarely fully informed of their data rights by UN agencies or local border control and law enforcement staff tasked with obtaining and processing their personal information. Despite recent improvements in data protection mechanisms in the European Union, refugees’ informed consent for the collection and use of their personal data is rarely sought. Using examples drawn from interviews with refugees who have arrived in Europe since 2013, and an analysis of the impacts of the 2016 EU-Turkey deal on migration, this paper analyzes how the vast amount of data collected from refugees is gathered, stored and shared today, and considers the additional risks this collection process poses to an already vulnerable population navigating a perilous information-decision gap.
Author/s:Mark Latonero,
Keith Hiatt,
Antonella Napolitano,
Giulia Clericetti,
Melanie Penagos
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:Latonero, M., Hiatt, K., Napolitano, A., Clericetti, G., & Penagos, M. (2019). Digital identity in the migration & refugee context: Italy case study. Data & Society. https://www.datasociety.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/DataSociety_DigitalIdentity.pdf
ANNOTATIONS:Executive Summary: Increasingly, governments, corporations, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are seeking to use digital technologies to track the identities of migrants and refugees. This surging interest in digital identity technologies would seem to meet a pressing need: the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) states that in today’s modern world, lacking proof of identity can limit a person’s access to services and socio-economic participation, including employment opportunities, housing, a mobile phone, and a bank account. But this report argues that the technologies and processes involved in digital identity will not provide easy solutions in the migration and refugee context. Technologies that rely on identity data introduce a new sociotechnical layer that may exacerbate existing biases, discrimination, or power imbalances
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Molnar, P. & Gill, L. 2018. Bots at the Gate: A Human Rights Analysis of Automated Decision-Making in Canada’s Immigration and Refugee System. International Human Rights Program (Faculty of Law, University of Toronto) and the Citizen Lab (Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto).
ANNOTATIONS:This report focuses on the impacts of automated decision-making in Canada’s immigration and refugee
system from a human rights perspective. It highlights how the use of algorithmic and automated technologies to replace or augment administrative decision-making in this context threatens to create a laboratory for high-risk experiments within an already highly discretionary system. Vulnerable and under-resourced communities such as non-citizens often have access to less robust human rights protections and fewer resources with which to defend those rights. Adopting these technologies in an irresponsible manner may only serve to exacerbate these disparities. The use of these technologies is not merely speculative: the Canadian government has already been
experimenting with their adoption in the immigration context since at least 2014. For example, the federal government has been in the process of developing a system of “predictive analytics” to automate certain activities currently conducted by immigration officials and to support the evaluation of some immigrant and visitor applications.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Foster-Frau, S. (2025, June). Two refugee families. Two very different experiences under Trump. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/05/27/trump-refugees-south-africa-afrikaners-alabama/
ANNOTATIONS:The article discusses two refugee families with different experiences under the Trump administration. Mehraz's family waited a long time to receive refugee status; even then, the displacement was even tougher on them due to the lack of English fluency and culture shock. Once Trump came into office and completed major cuts to the refugee program, her family had to overcome even more obstacles. Meanwhile, Langton's experience was much faster in terms of resettlement and assimilation. In summation, they are both just happy to be in the US.
Mehraz's experience mentioned being fingerprinted, undergoing multiple interviews, and keeping track with the CDC vaccines.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Ulrich, A. (2025, May 13). Fear and surveillance in the US-Mexico borderlands: “There’s a lot more open hate.” The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/13/us-mexico-border-surveillance
ANNOTATIONS:The article discusses how volunteers of Border Angels hike mountains in the San Diego US-Mexico border to help migrants who are crossing. During Trump's administration, the number of migrants has decreased to the point that the border agents call Trump "Daddy Trump." Trump recently proposed increasing the Department of Homeland Security’s budget for the next fiscal year by nearly $44bn, a portion of which would go towards further increasing the border security technology.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Nikolov, K. (2025, May 13). Bulgaria deploys EU-funded drones to monitor Turkish border. Euractiv; EURACTIV. https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/bulgaria-deploys-eu-funded-drones-to-monitor-turkish-border/
ANNOTATIONS:Austria supports strengthening the Bulgarian-Turkish border with building a physical border; however, a new option is to fund drone surveillance.
Author/s:Juan Sebastián Pinto, Carl Myers, Ari Gesher, Silas Stafford, Courtney Wong-McGuire, Casey Ketterling, Erion Malaj, Margret Williams, Linda Xia, Jason Ma, Aditya Arolkar, Paul Mustière, Magnus Hagmar
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:Letter. (2025). The Scouring of the Shire: a letter from concerned Palantir alumni to the tech workers of Silicon Valley.
ANNOTATIONS:This letter calls to action for Palantir's former employees and tech workers to refuse the recruitment of Trump's administration and DOGE initiatives since they are illegal. It sheds light on how Palantir executives are not following Palantir's code of conduct anymore.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Cox, J. (2025, June 26). ICE Is Using a New Facial Recognition App to Identify People, Leaked Emails Show. 404 Media. https://www.404media.co/ice-is-using-a-new-facial-recognition-app-to-identify-people-leaked-emails-show/
ANNOTATIONS:With the support of Trump's administration, ICE is now using mobile applications that use facial recognition technology. Civil advocates criticize the technology embedded in their daily operations due to the errors facial recognition technology is known for.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Kayyali, D. (2025, April 22). Ask the Experts: AI Surveillance and US Immigration Enforcement. Tech Policy Press. https://www.techpolicy.press/ask-the-experts-ai-surveillance-and-us-immigraation-enforcement/
ANNOTATIONS:During the Trump Administration, human rights violations have been committed on a large scale. Six experts share information about their technology tools and tips on protecting ourselves during these horrific times.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Shah, P. (2025, April 21). Five Findings from an Analysis of the US Department of Homeland Security’s AI Inventory. Tech Policy Press. https://www.techpolicy.press/five-findings-from-an-analysis-of-the-us-department-of-homeland-securitys-ai-inventory/
ANNOTATIONS:Governmental agencies have extensively used new technology for their operations. Many civil rights organizations have mandated the end of some of their usage. Due to their lack of transparency and civil rights violations, DHS created an informational inventory to mitigate their demands; however, it was scattered, misleading, and incomplete. The inventory was the only requirement they met from the long list of demands. After 2024, DHS stopped using its Asylum Text Analysis and the I-539 approval prediction. However, it continues to use the detention scoring program, Hurricane, and the program that hosts it, the Risk Classification Assessment (RCA).…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:O’Brien, L. (2025, April 7). The shocking far-right agenda behind the surveillance tech used by ICE and the FBI. Mother Jones. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/04/clearview-ai-immigration-ice-fbi-surveillance-facial-recognition-hoan-ton-that-hal-lambert-trump/
ANNOTATIONS:In a shocking process tracing, Luke details the origins of Clearview, formerly known as SmartCheckr, its development, partners, funders, and political ties. The article describes its previous usage, past legal encounters, and current usage in the US. In recent years, a case study reported how Clearview aided in finding January 6 rioters. It reports they also helped to gin up unscientific and inaccurate analyses of voter data that Republicans used to back false claims of voter fraud after the 2020 election.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Spinelli, F. (2023, June 15). AI And Migration: Hi-Tech To Tighten Borders Or Save Lives At Sea. WORLDCRINCH. https://worldcrunch.com/migrant-lives-1/artificial-intelligence-migration
ANNOTATIONS:This article discusses how the European Parliament approved the EU's first act regulating AI. While the act bans some potentially abusive technologies, it allows others that authorities could use to track, control, and deny aid to people seeking refuge in Europe rather than assisting them. As such, forecasting tools and remote biometric surveillance are allowed on migrants. Similarly, systems collaborating with Huawei track seaports and migrants sleeping in parks. The reality for many is that technology harms them rather than helps them. One benefit of the article is that it talks about the AI Act leading to its enactment and mentions new technological companies fueling the AI technologies employed in migrant communities.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY:Mao, J., Shah, P., Lucal, H., Panjwani, A., & Gonzalez, J. (2024). Automating deportation: The artificial intelligence behind the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement regime. Mijente. https://www.mijente.net/automating-deportation/
ANNOTATIONS:Corporations are peddling “artificial intelligence” (AI) as the cure-all tool that can solve big social problems and improve our daily lives. Despite a lack of laws regulating AI, our federal and local governments are embracing AI without reservation – procuring tools, programs and systems without understanding how AI impacts communities or questioning whether they should deploy AI in the first place. From healthcare to social services to military weapons to migration, AI threatens to automate answers to our society’s most important questions, leaving the decision making to a secret machine that people know little about, let alone have the power to control. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been using AI-like technologies for over a decade. But the hype around generative AI, such as the high profile release of ChatGPT, has launched a government funding frenzy. This year, Congress appropriated $3 billion across federal agencies to purchase and use AI.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Gault, M. (2025, July 10). The UN Made AI-Generated Refugees. 404 Media. https://www.404media.co/the-un-made-ai-generated-refugees/
ANNOTATIONS:The new project aimed to provide the UN with independent academic research, a task overseen by Eleanore Fournier-Tombs, a data scientist leading a research lab at UNU-CPR that focuses on AI policy, for the AI avatar project. She says it is not a solution, but rather "just playing around with the concept."
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Manríquez, P. (2025, April 2). Mysterious New App Tracks ICE Activity. Migrantinsider.com; Migrant Insider. https://migrantinsider.com/p/signalsafe
ANNOTATIONS:The new mobile application, SignalSafe, is a tool not just for reporting, but for reckoning. The creators believe in transparency and community engagement. The application is embedded with artificial intelligence that automates screening reasoning for each report and disregards false reports. They also have a couple of human monitors who aid with discrepancies.
Can a chorus of voices, amplified by code, hold a leviathan to account? Its promise is modest yet profound—a chance to see, to speak, to bear witness.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Cormac O’Keeffe, Security Correspondent. (2025, July 15). Human rights watchdog warns that International Protection Bill could “criminalise” asylum seekers. Irish Examiner. https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41669768.html
ANNOTATIONS:The IHREC analysis said the pact aims to “significantly shorten” the application procedure, with a first-instance decision on admissible applications in six months, with appeal decisions within a further three months. On the issue of assessing if applicants are children, IHREC said that, based on its experience, it was “concerned that children will not be afforded the presumption of minority” and, with no credible age assessment process in place, “will end up being treated as adults”. It said it was concerned the final bill could include powers including requirements on applicants to sign in and out and obey curfews in accommodation centres, and they could be electronically tagged or tracked on phone apps.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Mehrotra, D. (2025, May 29). The US Is Storing Migrant Children’s DNA in a Criminal Database. WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/cbp-dna-migrant-children-fbi-codis/
ANNOTATIONS:The US Customs and Border Protection has collected DNA samples from upwards of 133,000 migrant children and teenagers, including at least one 4-year-old, and uploaded their genetic data into a national criminal database used by local, state, and federal law enforcement known as CODIS, which stands for Combined DNA Index System. The Department of Justice has argued that collecting extensive DNA samples at the border allows officials to assess the danger a migrant may pose to the public and will help solve crimes immigrants might commit in the future. Legal, immigration, and human rights activists advocate for the elimination of the CBP's controversial DNA collection system.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Cameron, D. (2025, July 16). DHS Faces New Pressure Over DNA Taken From Immigrant Children. WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/dhs-and-doj-face-new-pressure-over-collecting-childrens-dna/
ANNOTATIONS:In the last four years, DHS has collected DNA from tens of thousands of minors, among them at least 227 children aged 13 or younger, government data shows. The vast majority of those profiled, more than 70 percent, were citizens of just four countries: Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti. Their DNA profiles now reside in CODIS, an FBI database historically used to identify suspects in violent crimes. Critics argue the system, which retains information indefinitely by default, was never intended to hold genetic data from civil immigration detainees, especially minors. The US senator Wyden has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to release details on how, and under what legal authority, the DNA samples are gathered, stored, and used. He pressed for data on the number of samples collected, especially from minors, and asked the officials to list by what policies DHS currently governs the coercion, expungement, and sharing of DNA data.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Turse, N. (2025, July 22). The Pentagon Won’t Track Troops Deployed on U.S. Soil. So We Will. The Intercept.…
ANNOTATIONS:Trump has sent over 200 thousand federal troops on American soil. His actions violate the Posse Comitatus Act, a bedrock 19th-century law seen as fundamental to the democratic tradition in America, which bars federal troops from participating in civilian law enforcement. Troops now completely militarize one-third of the U.S. border by patrolling four new national defense areas, sprawling extensions of U.S. military bases, where they can detain immigrants until handing them over to Border Patrol agents. However, how many troops have been involved in border operations this year is unknown.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:U.S. IMMIGRATION DETENTION OVERSIGHT • Prepared by Senator Jon Ossoff 1 OVERSIGHT OF MILITARY HOUSING • Prepared by Senator Jon Ossoff. (n.d.). Retrieved August 9, 2025, from https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/250721_Pregnancy_Report_v7.pdf
ANNOTATIONS:U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff has launched an investigation into human rights abuses in U.S. immigration detention. Credibly reported or confirmed events include deaths in custody, physical and sexual abuse, mistreatment of pregnant women, mistreatment of children, inadequate medical care,
overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions, inadequate food or water, exposure to extreme temperatures, denial of access to attorneys, and family separations.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Source: Leaked Documents Show the U.S. Government Tracking Journalists and Immigration Advocates Through a Secret Database. (n.d.). NBC 7 San Diego. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/source-leaked-documents-show-the-us-government-tracking-journalists-and-advocates-through-a-secret-database/3438/
ANNOTATIONS:Documents obtained by NBC 7 Investigates show the U.S. government created a secret database of activists, journalists, and social media influencers tied to the migrant caravan and, in some cases, placed alerts on their passports. According to the source, officials carried out the intelligence-gathering efforts under “Operation Secure Line,” the operation designated to monitor the migrant caravan. The individuals listed include ten journalists, seven of whom are U.S. citizens, a U.S. attorney, and 48 people from the U.S.…
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Falcone, D. (2025, August 8). African Migration and the Violence of Global Capitalism. CounterPunch.org; CounterPunch. https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/08/08/african-migration-and-the-violence-of-global-capitalism/
ANNOTATIONS:Irish Journalist Sally Hayden investigates the impacts related to capital and how it marginalizes migrant populations within the international order. Hayden wrote this book to document the high moral costs of European migration policy, starting with the West’s blameworthiness and indifference to “hellish” conditions.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Biddle, S. (2021, December 13). Startup Pitched Tasing Migrants From Drones, Video Reveals. The Intercept. https://theintercept.com/2021/12/13/brinc-startup-taser-drones-migrants/
ANNOTATIONS:Brinc, a rising star among the many companies jockeying to sell drones to police, has a compelling founding mythology: In the wake of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, its young founder decided to aid law enforcement agencies through the use of nonviolent robots. A company promotional video obtained by The Intercept, however, reveals a different vision: selling stun gun-armed drones to attack migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. In the video, Blake Resnick, the company's ascendant founder and CEO, standing at an unnamed stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border, demonstrates how Brinc's flying bots could detect, track, interrogate, and physically attack would-be migrants.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Algorithm improves integration of refugees. (2018). Stanford.edu; Stanford University. https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2018/01/algorithm-improves-integration-refugees
ANNOTATIONS:The group developed their algorithm based on socioeconomic data from more than 30,000 refugees, aged 18 to 64, placed by a major resettlement agency from 2011 to 2016 in the United States. Based on this data, the team had the algorithm predict employment probability and optimal locations for a group of refugees who arrived toward the end of 2016 and compared those predictions with how they fared in their new homes. The group found that if the algorithm had selected locations for refugees’ resettlement, the average employment rate among those refugees would have been roughly 41 percent higher. The team went through the same process with data from asylum seekers in Switzerland between 1999 and 2013. However, the researchers are not advocating for the algorithm to replace the decision-making of resettlement officials.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:Daniels, J. (2018, May 15). Lie-detecting computer kiosks equipped with artificial intelligence look like the future of border security. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/15/lie-detectors-with-artificial-intelligence-are-future-of-border-security.html
ANNOTATIONS:About six years ago, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security funded research on the virtual border agent technology known as the Automated Virtual Agent for Truth Assessments in Real-Time (AVATAR) and allowed officials to test it at the U.S.-Mexico border on travelers who volunteered to participate. The technology uses sensors and biometrics, relying on eye movements and changes in voice, posture, and facial gestures to detect lies. One researcher says it has a deception detection success rate of up to 80 percent, better than human agents. However, the researcher insists that developers did not design AVATAR technology to replace people.
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