Across Europe, migration enforcement increasingly relies on detection measures embedded in everyday administrative and service contexts, including healthcare, education, housing and social services, or public spaces.
Detection measures are often presented as technical or administrative tools and operate through opaque administrative or digital systems that are difficult to identify and challenge in practice. These measures may include immigration raids in private and public spaces, reporting obligations imposed on public authorities and service providers, expanded data sharing and surveillance practices, the use of biometric identification systems, and enforcement approaches based on racial profiling rather than individual conduct.
Digitalisation and data sharing of public administration used for migration enforcement
Organisation Name
Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)
Country/Jurisdiction
Multi-country Europe
Amount Granted
EUR 28,000
Current Status
Ongoing
Image credit: Photo by George Prentzas on Unsplash
Grant type
Pre-litigation Research Support
Description
PICUM is exploring strategic litigation challenging detection practices linked to migration enforcement, drawing on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, EU data protection law (GDPR and Law Enforcement Directive) and migration law.
Across Europe, migration enforcement increasingly relies on detection measures embedded in everyday administrative and service contexts, including healthcare, education, housing and social services, or public spaces.
Detection measures are often presented as technical or administrative tools and operate through opaque administrative or digital systems that are difficult to identify and challenge in practice. These measures may include immigration raids in private and public spaces, reporting obligations imposed on public authorities and service providers, expanded data sharing and surveillance practices, the use of biometric identification systems, and enforcement approaches based on racial profiling rather than individual conduct.
Detection measures are enabled by the digitalisation of public administration and expanded data sharing between authorities. Personal data collected for service provision may be shared for migration purposes, violating EU data protection and fundamental rights law.
"measures may include immigration raids in private and public spaces, reporting obligations imposed on public authorities and service providers, expanded data sharing and surveillance practices, the use of biometric identification systems, and enforcement approaches based on racial profiling"
Strategic Goal
To advance the rights of undocumented migrants, people with precarious residence status, and racialised communities—who are disproportionately exposed to migration enforcement practices and are at heightened risk of detention and deportation. This includes ensuring safe access to essential services such as healthcare, education, housing or birth registration, and when seeking access to justice.