June 25, 2024
Cited article by OSCE
HRRC reaffirms the urgent need articulated by OSCE for nations to use emerging border management technologies responsibly while protecting the fundamental human rights of migrants and refugees.
News Brief
On World Refugee Day, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) emphasized the pressing need to ensure that new border technologies are utilized in alignment with member states’ human rights obligations and commitments towards migrants and refugees. Observing the unprecedentedly large number of forcibly displaced individuals in the OSCE region, the organization drew attention to the increasing use and proliferation of technological programs involving data sharing and gathering to control migration and security at the borders.
While recognizing the benefits of border technologies, such as the implementation of more accurate and efficient identification tools, OSCE stressed that these automated systems must not discriminate against migrants or infringe upon their rights to seek asylum and to data privacy and protection. Additionally, OSCE strongly recommended states to enact key measures to regulate the usage of border management technologies, including practicing proper external oversight, reviewing the potential human rights effects of technological innovations early on in their development, and providing specialized training to border guards and other personnel using these programs.