Migration and Technology Monitor

18 Aug

🚨 NEW BOOK RELEASE: "Border Necrotechnics" by Petra Molnar (FREE Open Access!) Examining how automated border tech decides who lives & dies, in dialogue with Mbembe, Achiume, Benjamin & Browne. Published with Palgrave Macmillan & Springer Nature. Download here: bit.ly/460diE5

25 Aug

🎓 Honoring 2025/2026 Graduating Fellow Aqila Abdelkarim! Building on her work with MentalEase, medical professional Aqila combines tech & creative art to simplify mental health access for refugees & communities across East Africa. Curious about her work? Learn more here: mentalease.org

14 Aug

Celebrating our graduating 2025/2026 Fellows! Sophia Amimo, founder of Domestic Workers Returnees of Kenya. A returnee herself, Sophia used storytelling & investigative reporting to expose how tech is used to surveil & exploit migrant workers. Follow her work at dwrok.org

11 Aug

When war erupted in the Persian Gulf, technology became a double-edged sword for migrant workers. Smartphone alerts offered updates, but social media fueled waves of panic across labor camps. Rajendra Paudel examines fear and uncertainty in the UAE: bit.ly/4fYTBkM

19 June

We were thrilled to moderate and present at #DRAPAC2026, in a panel titled “Reimagining Borders: Migration, Surveillance, and Human Rights in the Global South.” Thank you organizers DAKILA and Foundation for Media Alternatives, and partners OHCHR, @idcoalition.bsky.social, and ELSAM.

bit.lySurveillance Technology is Silencing Journalists in KashmirPetra Molnar interviews a Kashmiri journalist on how surveillance and repression are reshaping life and reporting in Kashmir.

19 June

Special thank you to our special guest, Shakeen, a researcher from Kashmir who presented at #DRAPAC2026. He lives under pervasive digital and physical surveillance by government authorities; you can read his findings and experience here: bit.ly/42WN042

16 June

The AI Resist List is LIVE 🎉 Co-built w/ @weandai.bsky.social, @dairinstitute.bsky.social, @karenhao.bsky.social, & @refugeelab.ca, this database highlights global efforts to challenge AI, showing how we can resist, refuse, reimagine, and reclaim from Big Tech's dominance. airesistlist.org

11 June

In an interview with a Kashmiri journalist writing under a pseudonym, everyday life emerges as a landscape shaped by checkpoints, phone searches, and the constant possibility of state scrutiny. Read the full interview via @techpolicypress.bsky.social www.techpolicy.press/surveillance...

For too long, the Global North has deployed digital tools to manage migration without involving those most affected. This has led to "digital othering," where algorithms scale discrimination and strip people of their agency. 🧵 bit.ly/4wjc8zk

open.spotify.comMTM Podcasts - Technology, Fundamental Rights and the Human ExperiencePodcast · Migration and Technology Monitor · The Migration and Technology Monitor presents a podcast that centers around the deployment of technology and how it impacts the life of people affected by ...

Listen to Judith Cabrera on the harsh digital realities of the Mexico-U.S. border, Antonella Napolitano on European surveillance trends, Ankid Sarin on the invasion of privacy in Kashmir, and Grace Gichanga on the shifting human rights landscape in South Africa. open.spotify.com/show/3cBSPc9...

11 June

@svaroschi.bsky.social

bit.lyMigration and Technology Monitor Podcast - Episode 1AI-powered technologies need huge quantities of data to work. While many people still think that AI is neutral, study after study shows that technologies are biased. Not just because of how they are programmed, but because the data used to feed them contains biases, racism, and discriminatory patterns. AI also dramatically deepens societal rifts and infringes fundamental rights. What we are witnessing is Digital Othering. In this podcast we explore how this looks in the real world and how people are already affected by Digital Othering. Four specialists share their observations and insights. Their greatest concern: If the human experience is taken out of the equation, technologies will remain tools of oppression rather than empowerment. In this episode: Judith Cabrera, Grace Gichanga, Antonella Napolitano, Ankid Sarin, with host Florian Schmitz

To challenge this, at our November 2025 Gathering in Nairobi, Kenya, we brought together MTM Fellows and experts who bridge the gap between high-level research and lived experience. bit.ly/4wjc8zk 🧵

8 June

The MTM is at #DRAPAC - The Digital Rights Asia Pacific Assembly in Manila, Philippines 🇵🇭 organized by @engagemedia.org, Foundation for Media Alternatives, and DAKILA. Come see our panel on border surveillance with ELSAM, @idcoalition.bsky.social, OHCHR, as well as Shakeen, journalist from Kashmir

4 June

The right to repair is a right to a future. That’s what drives Mathew Lubari, our 2024 MTM Fellow. As the Co-founder of Community Creativity for Development (CC4D), he’s teaching refugee youth and women how to reclaim their technology. Mathew shares his perspective at our 2025 gathering in Nairobi.

4 June

And learn more about our shared mission at www.migrationtechmonitor.com

2 June

How do we move beyond research that just observes harm and toward methodologies that build power? ✊ The MTM Fellowship is built on 7 Core Principles of Participatory Methodologies. See the thread to explore the pillars of how we are building a different world.

2 June

This is a living framework that governs how we work, how we allocate resources, and who leads the conversation.

2 June

These principles ensure that communities impacted by surveillance and border tech are the ones defining the problems and designing the pushback.

28 May

Displaced communities are used as a testing ground for surveillance and border tech. “Nothing about us, without us” - people who have lived through these systems are the only ones qualified to lead the research, define the strategies, and design the pushback. www.opendemocracy.net/en/migration...

26 May

MTM Co-Founder @petramolnar.com joins Aman Sethi of @opendemocracy.net in the In Solidarity podcast to discuss why the “Border Industrial Complex” is booming and what it means for people on the move and how surveillance makes the world impassable for some people. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPt2...

21 May

The MTM Manifesto was one of the most important outcomes of our 2025 gathering in Nairobi, Kenya. Look through the thread to see the core pillars of the movement we’re building together, and read the full report at the link in bio ☝️

21 May

Drafted by our Fellows and people on the move, these demands represent a world where technology prioritizes care over control and solidarity over surveillance.

21 May

But this isn’t just a static PDF. We intended the Manifesto to be a document to be commented on, adapted, and translated as it travels across different communities and borders.

20 May

The AI Resist List is LIVE 🎉 Co-built by @weandai.bsky.social, @dairinstitute.bsky.social, @karenhao.bsky.social, @refugeelab.ca this database highlights global efforts to challenge AI, and how we can resist, refuse, reimagine, and reclaim its power from Big Tech. Check it out www.airesistlist.org

14 May

In a piece for @opendemocracy.net, MTM Fellow Simon Drotti challenges the way the world views displaced communities with Memory Scroll, a social platform designed to return narrative power to those who have lived through displacement. Read Simon’s full reflection here: bit.ly/3P5mS3S

open.spotify.comDigital Othering - How Technology Increases Injustice

24 Apr

What happens when the people most impacted by border tech are the ones in charge of the narrative? We worked with incredible Fellows and partners who are proving that the future of tech and migration can be participatory and justice-rooted. Read the report here: bit.ly/3QqskhT

Migration and Technology Monitor reposted

Antonella Napolitano

@svaroschi.bsky.social

11 Feb

Last year, I had the privilege to join the in-person gathering of the @migrationtechmonitor.com Fellowship, an initiative that supports people with lived experiences of migration. I also joined some of them on this podcast discussing technology and injustice open.spotify.com/episode/5FAj...

👋 We're back! We know it's been a while, but just because we've been quiet, doesn't mean we have not been busy! Check out some of the things we have been working on over the last few months - also on our website: www.migrationtechmonitor.com

📍 The MTM Manifesto is the most important outcome of our Gathering. It was drafted by our Fellows - all with lived experience of migration and occupation - and serves as an “live online sculpture" - meant to be participatory, commented on, adapted, and translated: pad.riseup.net/p/Migration_...

opendemocracy.netSpecial Issue: The World of Fluid Technology and Moving PeopOur weekly newsletter

📍Six MTM fellows, six stories: read personal essays by MTM fellows about how border surveillance tech has directly impacted the lives of people on the move, featured on Open Democracy’s Newsletter: www.opendemocracy.net/en/special-i... Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks!

📍Our new report reflects on the past 3 years of the MTM and highlights a very special event that happened in November 2025: our first ever Global Gathering that brought together our fellows and broader community in Nairobi, Kenya www.migrationtechmonitor.com/s/FINAL-MTM-...

📢 We are thrilled to welcome our THIRD cohort of fellows! Joining us are: 🔵 Sophia Amimo, Kenya 🔴 Aqila Abdelkarim, Somaliland 🟡 Abid, Kashmir 🟢 Issa Amro, Palestine 🟠 Nuria Arias and Ever Martinez, detained in the United States ➡️ www.migrationtechmonitor.com/2025fellows What will they work on?

Nuria Arias and Ever Martinez are from Latin America and currently experiencing detention in the US. Together with Pueblos de Lucha y Esperanza, Nuria and Ever are working on a graphic novel about their experiences with carceral technologies in US immigration detention. pdlye.org/es/

migrationtechmonitor.com2023 Fellows — Migration and Technology Monitor

Together, over the course of this year our new colleagues will interrogate technology, surveillance, and migration. Follow their work and stay tuned for updates about their projects! www.migrationtechmonitor.com/2025fellows Sign up for our newsletter: www.migrationtechmonitor.com/newsletter

Abid is a multidisciplinary researcher and journalist focused on social justice, technology, and inclusive development in Jammu and Kashmir. Abid's project will explore the intersection of technology, surveillance, and advocating for ethical frameworks that protect digital dignity.

Issa Amro is a human rights defender based in Hebron, Occupied West Bank. Issa is the co-founder of the direct action group Youth Against Settlements. Issa is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025. As a 2025/26 MTM fellow, Issa will continue to map technologies of occupation in Hebron.

Sophia Amimo is the founder of Domestic Workers Returnees of Kenya, an organization assisting migrant workers facing exploitation in the Middle East. Sophia will engage in storytelling, investigative reporting, and outreach to expose the hidden technological barriers they encounter. dwrok.org

Aqila Abdelkarim is a medical and mental health professional with a vision to enhance access to mental health services across East Africa. Her project seeks to find technical solutions for gaps in mental health care, support people-on-the-move, and challenge stigma around mental wellness.

22 Apr 2025

Israel is using state-of-the-art technology against Palestinians not only in Gaza, but also against residents in the West Bank. 2024/25 MTM fellow and Palestinian researcher @monashtaya.bsky.social talks with us about life under high tech occupation ➡️ www.migrationtechmonitor.com/blog/monas-b...

Migration and Technology Monitor reposted

techpolicy.pressTrump’s Social Media Surveillance: Social Scoring by Another Name | TechPolicy.PressWidespread surveillance leads to abuses of power, discrimination, and the stifling of freedom of expression, writes Petra Molnar.

21 Apr 2025

Thanks @techpolicypress.bsky.social for the opportunity to reflect on social media surveillance and migration under the Trump Administration, referencing great work by @nanjala.bsky.social and @danmcquillan.bsky.social, and reporting by @aclu.org and @404media.co, among others

Tech Policy Press@techpolicypress.bsky.social

Widespread surveillance leads to abuses of power, discrimination, and the stifling of freedom of expression, says Petra Molnar. Historically marginalized communities will bear the disproportionate brunt of this type of social media surveillance, she writes.

Migration and Technology Monitor reposted

Tech Policy Press

@techpolicypress.bsky.social

21 Apr 2025

AI use is rapidly growing in DHS for social media surveillance, visa revocations, and deportations—an alarming trend evident even before Trump’s second term, warns Paromita Shah, co-founder and executive director of Just Futures Law.

techpolicy.pressFive Findings from an Analysis of the US Department of Homeland Security’s AI Inventory | TechPolicy.PressAI use is rapidly growing in DHS for social media surveillance, visa revocations, and deportations, warns Just Futures Law's Paromita Shah.

Migration and Technology Monitor reposted

forbes.comDeafening Silence From The Cybersecurity IndustryChris Krebs affirmed the 2020 election was secure. Now he's the target of an Executive Order—and the cybersecurity industry’s silence is enabling a dangerous precedent.

17 Apr 2025

While marginalized communities are the most affected, not even the powerful are immune - like ex-CISA director Chris Krebs. www.forbes.com/sites/tonybr... - Tony Bradley @forbes.com Silence from the cybersecurity community - only a few spoke out, like @k8em0.bsky.social @lutasecurity.bsky.social

16 Apr 2025

#CrossCommunityJournalism is a collaboration between the MTM, @fromsea2city.bsky.social and @rosaluxstiftung.bsky.social. A Greek and a Lebanese reporter, both based in #Thessaloniki, will join forces to make #localreporting on #migration more equitable. #BuildingBridges #Humanrights

aljazeera.comTrump unveils new ‘self-deportation’ appUS President Donald Trump has unveiled a new ‘self-deportation’ app called CBP Home.

27 Mar 2025

Automated self-deportation: #CBPhome is part of #Trump's immigration reforms. The app invites people to initiate their own deportation process, @aljazeeraenglish.bsky.social reports. Earlier this year, Trump took down #CBPOne, the only way for #asylumseekers to get an appointment at the border.

Migration and Technology Monitor reposted

MSF Sea

@msfsea.bsky.social

19 Mar 2025

Another avoidable tragedy in the central Mediterranean: 6 dead, 40 missing after shipwreck near Lampedusa. Survivors reported that some of the missing had fallen off the boat in rough seas. www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/...

aljazeera.comSix dead, 40 missing as migrant boat capsizes near LampedusaItalian media say 10 people rescued as search continues for more survivors.

Migration and Technology Monitor reposted

citizenlab.caVirtue or Vice? A First Look at Paragon’s Proliferating Spyware Operations - The Citizen LabIn our first investigation into Israel-based spyware company, Paragon Solutions, we begin to untangle multiple threads connected to the proliferation of Paragon's mercenary spyware operations across t...

19 Mar 2025

🚨 New Report: The governments of Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Israel, and Singapore are likely customers of Israeli spyware maker Paragon Solutions finds @citizenlab.ca Read the report here: citizenlab.ca/2025/03/a-fi...

Migration and Technology Monitor reposted

tinyurl.comFeeding the Borderlands and Beyond: A Q&A with Yoli Soto, Founder of Borderlands Produce RescueLast Tuesday morning, just as President Trump’s tariffs on Mexico went into effect, I visited a produce warehouse in Nogales, Arizona.

18 Mar 2025

"We want to keep as much out of the landfill as possible.We even found a home for jalapeños this year.We found out that pigs really like jalapeños"🌶️ Amazing Interview with Yoli Soto, Founder of Borderlands Produce Rescue - @mdelbosque.bsky.social @theborderchronicle.bsky.social tinyurl.com/7vj745xz

openglobalrights.org“Nothing about us without us”: People on the move interrogate border tech with the Migration and Technology MonitorPeople with lived experiences of migration must be at the center of efforts to address the growing impact of border technologies.

13 Mar 2025

“Nothing about us without us”: People on the move interrogate border tech with the Migration and Technology Monitor. #MTM's @petramolnar.com writes for #OpenGlobalRights about gaining new perspectives through participation. #HumanRights #TechMigration www.openglobalrights.org/people-on-mo...

Migration and Technology Monitor reposted