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.
“Migrants choose to move not because of a direct threat of persecution or death, but mainly to improve their lives by finding work, or in some cases for education, family reunion, or other reasons. Unlike refugees who cannot safely return home, migrants face no such impediment to return. If they choose to return home, they will continue to receive the protection of their government” (UNHCR, n.d.).
Migration
“The movement of persons away from their place of usual residence, either across an international border or within a State” (IOM, 2019).
Migration governance
“The combined frameworks of legal norms, laws and regulations, policies and traditions as well as organizational structures (subnational, national, regional and international) and the relevant processes that shape and regulate States' approaches with regard to migration in all its forms, addressing rights and responsibilities and promoting international cooperation” (IOM, 2019).
Refugee
“An individual who is outside their country of nationality or habitual residence and is unable or unwilling to return there due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted” (UNHCR, n.d.).
Restrictive immigration policies
The UNHCR classifies them by their practical impact, defining them as state-level deterrence measures that actively hinder, penalize, or block individuals from exercising their fundamental human right to seek international protection (UNHCR, n.d.).
Smart and Digital borders
Our conceptualization combines conventional political boundaries, which may include physical infrastructure, with advanced technologies that operate beyond geographic borders to extend enforcement into non-physical spaces. They are part of the AI hype, which brands them as a false sense of inevitable, godlike technology (Bender & Hanna, 2025). They are the key actors in decision-making and prediction for migrants.
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
Typology: Mechanisms of Control:
Region(s):
Media Type:
Published Date:
Organizations Using the Technology:
Technology company(ies):—
Human rights organizations involved:—
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
Typology: Mechanisms of Control:
Region(s):
Media Type:
Published Date:
Organizations Using the Technology:
Technology company(ies):
Human rights organizations involved:
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.…
Filter index
Mechanisms of control
4 terms
Algorithmic Control60 sources
Operate through automation to categorize refugees & migrants and predict their patterns.
Examples: Analytic predictive risk systems; AI lie detectors; AI translators
Biometric Control51 sources
Operate through refugees' & migrants' biological data, such as physiological and behavioral characteristics.
Examples: Fingerprints; iris scans; biometric fusion data centers; facial recognition
Infrastructural Control33 sources
Operate through physical barriers and mobility infrastructure.
Operate through data capturing and remote sensing that extend beyond a physical site.
Examples: Global positioning systems (GPS); radars; mobile surveillance capability systems (MSCs)
Regions
11 terms
Central Asia3 sources
Nations like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
East Asia3 sources
China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, and Mongolia.
Europe47 sources
Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, and Southern Europe.
Global5 sources
Latin America & the Caribbean23 sources
Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean islands, and South America.
Middle East & North Africa (MENA)24 sources
Southwest Asia and the northern strip of Africa, heavily linked by culture and climate.
North America64 sources
The United States, Canada, and Greenland.
Oceania/Pacific Islands4 sources
Australia, New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
South Asia7 sources
The Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Southeast Asia3 sources
Maritime and mainland nations like Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Sub-Saharan Africa12 sources
All African countries located south of the Sahara Desert.
Media type
16 terms
Academic Article6 sources
Academic Journal2 sources
Analysis1 source
Article44 sources
Book2 sources
Interview1 source
Journal3 sources
Letter4 sources
Litigation1 source
Opinion2 sources
Podcast1 source
Post4 sources
Report17 sources
Research Paper2 sources
Website2 sources
Working Paper1 source
Year published
13 terms
20031 source
20101 source
20111 source
20131 source
20172 sources
20184 sources
20195 sources
202010 sources
202110 sources
202216 sources
202318 sources
20245 sources
202517 sources
Organizations Using the Technology
7 terms
Federal Bureaucratic Agency49 sources
These are state-funded entities with legal authority. State-level ministries, federal departments, and specialized national bureaus (e.g., environmental protection agencies, ministries of finance).
International Government (IGOs)45 sources
These are state-funded entities with legal authority. Intergovernmental bodies created by state treaties (e.g., United Nations, World Health Organization).
International Non-Governmental Organization10 sources
These are independent, non-profit entities. Global non-profits with chapters or operations across multiple sovereign borders.
Local Government2 sources
These are state-funded entities with legal authority. Municipalities, city councils, county courts, and town zoning boards.
Local Non-Governmental Organization2 sources
These are independent, non-profit entities. Grassroots community groups, neighborhood clinics, local food pantries, and city-specific civil societies.
National Bureaucratic Agency20 sources
These are state-funded entities with legal authority. State-level ministries, federal departments, and specialized national bureaus (e.g., environmental protection agencies, ministries of finance).
National Non-Governmental Organization2 sources
These are independent, non-profit entities. Large non-profits operating nationwide within a single country (e.g., National Red Cross societies).
Technology company(ies)
179 terms
A21 terms
AAI Corporation1 source
Aaron Elkins1 source
Accenture1 source
ACCENTURE (based in DUBLIN)1 source
AI Insights1 source
AI Tech1 source
Airbus1 source
AIRBUS (German firm)1 source
Airbus S.A.S.1 source
Amazon2 sources
Amazon Mechanical Turk1 source
Amazon Web Services (AWS)1 source
Anduril Industries6 sources
Annie MOORE (Matching Outcome Optimization for Refugee Empowerment)1 source
Anthropic1 source
ARESIBO1 source
ARX Perimeters1 source
Aselan and Otakar (Turkish firm)1 source
ASELSAN A.Ş.1 source
ATOS1 source
Automated Betric Identification System (IDENT)1 source
B17 terms
Babel X1 source
BAE Systems1 source
Benchmark1 source
Benchmark Electronics1 source
Betric Residence Permits (BRPs)1 source
BI Inc.2 sources
Big Data1 source
Big Data Analytics1 source
Big Data and AI1 source
Big Tech companies1 source
Big Word1 source
BlackRock (US)1 source
Blighter Surveillance Systems Ltd.1 source
Booz Allen Hamilton1 source
BorderUAS1 source
Brinc1 source
British start-up Horizon Technologies1 source
C12 terms
CAMUNDA1 source
CEDAT 851 source
Cellebrite4 sources
Centre National d'Études Spatiales France's space agency1 source
Cetaur1 source
Civipol (French semi-public company)1 source
ClearForce1 source
Clearview AI3 sources
Compliant Technologies1 source
Cor-sight1 source
CoreCivic1 source
Covercraft Industries LLC1 source
D6 terms
Dana Safety Supply1 source
Data for Democracy team1 source
Dataminr1 source
Deloitte2 sources
DMG1 source
DragonForce1 source
E9 terms
Ecosystem of Migration Management Technologies1 source
Elbit Systems4 sources
ELTA Systems Ltd.1 source
ESA Security Solutions S.A1 source
EU-funded Horizon 2020 project1 source
eu-LISA2 sources
European Dactyloscopy System (EURODAC)4 sources
European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)1 source
European Interoperability Framework (EIF)1 source
F4 terms
Face++1 source
Facebook1 source
FOLDOUT1 source
Fortinet Federal1 source
G14 terms
G4S1 source
Genasys1 source
General Atomics1 source
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems1 source
GEO Group3 sources
Geogentina1 source
GeoMatch1 source
Getty Images1 source
Ghost Robotics1 source
Giant Oak (GOST)2 sources
Google7 sources
Google Cloud AI2 sources
government-led betric programs1 source
GPI Defense1 source
H6 terms
Henry Repeating Arms1 source
HENSOLDT (German firm)1 source
Hensoldt AG1 source
Honeywell International Inc.1 source
Horizon 20203 sources
Huawei1 source
I9 terms
IBM3 sources
iBorderCtrl9 sources
IDEMIA (French firm)1 source
INSEAD University's social innovation centre1 source
Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System ( IAFIS)1 source
IntegriWard LLC1 source
Intracom Telecom2 sources
IrisGuard3 sources
Israel Aerospace Industries1 source
J1 term
Japan Radio Co. Ltd.1 source
L10 terms
LanguageLine1 source
Leidos1 source
Leonardo and Intermarine (Italian firm)1 source
Leonardo S.p.A.1 source
Leonardo/ELSAG ALPR Systems1 source
LexisNexis1 source
Lionbridge1 source
Lockheed Martin3 sources
Logitech1 source
Lund University1 source
M13 terms
M&C Saatchi World Services1 source
Mastercard1 source
Mastercard and Gavi Alliance2 sources
Match'In1 source
Matthews Environmental Solutions1 source
Mer Security1 source
Meta2 sources
Microsoft2 sources
Microsoft’s Face API1 source
Military tech companies1 source
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation1 source
Motorola Solutions1 source
MSAB1 source
N4 terms
NEC Corporation1 source
Northrop Grumman4 sources
NOVACOM1 source
Nuance1 source
O3 terms
one of the developers of the system and an assistant professor at the San Diego State University director of its Artificial Intelligence Lab1 source
Oosto (AnyVision)1 source
OpenAI5 sources
P4 terms
Packaging Strategies inc.1 source
Palantir14 sources
Penlink1 source
PureTech Systems1 source
R8 terms
RADA Electronic Industries Ltd.1 source
Raytheon Technologies Corporation1 source
Rekord Structures1 source
RHEINMETALL (German firm)1 source
Rheinmetall AG1 source
ROBORDER5 sources
Rohde & Schwarz USA Inc1 source
RT Aerostat Systems Inc1 source
S15 terms
SAAB AB1 source
SAFRAN1 source
Samaforce1 source
Schengen Information System (SIS)1 source
ShadowDragon1 source
SignalSafe1 source
Silent Talker Ltd.1 source
Silicon Valley companies1 source
Silicon Valley start-ups1 source
SLS/ModCorr1 source
Smart Border Solutions1 source
SoundThinking (formerly ShotSpotter)1 source
SRC Inc.1 source
Stanford University3 sources
Stanford’s Immigration Policy Lab1 source
T12 terms
T3K-FORENSICS GMBH1 source
Tactical Micro1 source
Terma A/S1 source
Terracom1 source
THALES (French firm)1 source
Thales Group1 source
Thalys1 source
The couple: Petro and Maryna1 source
ThirstyRock Hydration Gear1 source
Tilde1 source
TransPerfect1 source
TRESSPASS2 sources
U6 terms
UK Immigration and Asylum Fingerprint System (UK IAFIS)1 source
University of Arizona1 source
UNOSAT1 source
US BORDER-HOMELAND SECURITY TECH VENDORS DATASET 11-25-20241 source
US Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT)1 source
UX Designer-professional1 source
V3 terms
Vector Climate1 source
Vigilant Solutions1 source
Visa Information System (VIS)1 source
W1 term
Will-Burt Company1 source
X1 term
X2AI1 source
Human rights organizations involved
114 terms
A10 terms
Access Now8 sources
Actvists1 source
Advocates2 sources
Al Otro Lado2 sources
Alphabet Workers Union1 source
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)1 source
American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties1 source
American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech Privacy and Technology Project1 source
American-Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area1 source
Amnesty International6 sources
B6 terms
Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society1 source
Birmingham Islamic Society1 source
Black Economic Empowerment1 source
Border Angels2 sources
Border Violence Monitoring Network2 sources
Brennan Center's Liberty and National Security Program1 source
C13 terms
Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA)2 sources
Caribou Digital2 sources
Center for Media Justice1 source
Center on Privacy and Technology1 source
Centro de Trabajadores Unidos1 source
Citizen Lab2 sources
Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy1 source
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (OCRCL)1 source
Coalizione Italiana Libertà e Diritti Civili (CILD)1 source
Colibrí Center for Human Rights1 source
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)1 source
Community Justice Exchange2 sources
Council of Europe1 source
D2 terms
Digital Rights Advocates1 source
Displacement Solutions1 source
E9 terms
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)2 sources
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)1 source
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)1 source
Empower LLC1 source
EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)1 source
European Court of Justice1 source
European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and Supervisor (EDPS)1 source
European Digital Rights (EDRi)5 sources
European Digital Rights (EDRi)1 source
F3 terms
four other European institutions1 source
FoxGlove1 source
Fundamental Rights Agency1 source
G3 terms
Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology1 source
Grupa Gracia1 source
Guardian Project1 source
H6 terms
Haitian Bridge Alliance1 source
Heinrich Böll Foundation1 source
Homo Digitalis5 sources
Homo Faber Joint council for the welfare of immigrants1 source
Human Rights Council1 source
Human Rights Watch8 sources
I10 terms
Ida B. Wells JUST Data Lab1 source
Immigrant Defenders Law Center1 source
Inspiritus1 source
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)1 source
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)1 source
International Human Rights Program (IHRP)2 sources
International Organization for Migration1 source
International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)1 source
International Rescue Committee (IRC)2 sources
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC)1 source
J4 terms
Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants1 source
Josoor International Solidarity1 source
Journalists1 source
Just Futures Law5 sources
K1 term
Kaleo International1 source
L1 term
Lex Gill1 source
M2 terms
Mercy Corps1 source
Mijente6 sources
N3 terms
New Voice radio station1 source
No Border Wall Coalition2 sources
No More Deaths3 sources
P6 terms
Petra Molnar1 source
Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Persons (PICUM)2 sources
Privacy International8 sources
Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court1 source
Protect Not Surveil Coalition2 sources
Pueblo Sin Fronteras1 source
R6 terms
Refugee Law Lab4 sources
Refugee Law Lab Techfugees1 source
Refugee Support Team1 source
Refugee Translation Project1 source
Respond Crisis Translation1 source
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights1 source
S10 terms
Salvavision1 source
Sanctuary Movement1 source
Sea Watch1 source
Senior staff attorney Mitra Ebadolahi with the ACLU of San Diego’s Border Litigation Project1 source
Sidewalk School1 source
Society for Civil Rights1 source
Staff attorney Esha Bhandari with the ACLU’s Speech Privacy and Technology Project1 source
Statewatch2 sources
Summer Immigration Institute of the Colorado College Department of Sociology1 source
Surveillance Technology Oversight Project1 source
T5 terms
Tarjimly1 source
Tech Inquiry1 source
The Barn1 source
the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada Reno1 source
Translocal Lives project1 source
U13 terms
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights1 source
UN Human Rights Council1 source
UN Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (OHCHR)1 source
UN Refugee Agency1 source
UN Special Rapporteur1 source
UN Special Rapporteur on Racism1 source
UnidosUS1 source
United Nations3 sources
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees1 source
University of Essex1 source
University of Oxford's Refugee Studies Centre1 source
University of Toronto’s International Human Rights Program1 source
US Government Accountability Office2 sources
W1 term
WatchTheMed Alarm Phone1 source
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