Digital Borders and Virtual Walls: Legal Responses to Online Migration Control
Keywords:
Digital borders, virtual walls, migration governance, algorithmic decision-making, biometric surveillance, data protection, legal accountabilityAbstract
This study aims to examine how legal frameworks have responded to the emergence of digital borders and virtual walls in the context of contemporary migration control. This study utilized a scientific narrative review approach combined with a descriptive analysis method to synthesize literature published between 2021 and 2024. Sources included academic journal articles, legal documents, international guidelines, and policy reports focused on algorithmic governance, biometric surveillance, data sharing, and extraterritorial border control. The review analyzed national, regional, and international legal instruments and case law to assess how current legal responses address the challenges posed by digital technologies in migration governance. The study identified four major dimensions of digital migration control: algorithmic decision-making in immigration procedures, biometric and surveillance technologies at borders, data collection and profiling, and virtual geofencing and border externalization. Each dimension introduces legal concerns related to transparency, consent, privacy, due process, and accountability. While some legal responses exist—such as data protection regulations and human rights treaties—they are often fragmented, limited in scope, and inadequately enforced. The findings reveal significant gaps in legal protection, particularly for migrants who are subject to decisions made by opaque digital systems and transnational data infrastructures. Digital technologies have fundamentally reshaped the mechanisms of migration control, yet legal systems have struggled to keep pace with their rapid deployment. Existing frameworks are insufficient to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in the digital governance of mobility. A comprehensive and coordinated legal response is urgently needed to safeguard migrants’ rights in the digital age.
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