Digital Technologies, Data and Artificial Intelligence in Migration and Citizenship Governance

Migration and citizenship are increasingly governed through data and code. Biometric identification, interoperable databases, risk assessment and profiling tools, automated or semi-automated decision-making, remote surveillance, digital identity and e-government portals, and the use of artificial intelligence in language analysis, document verification and case triage are reshaping how states and international organisations identify, sort, admit and exclude people. Digital tools also change how migrants themselves navigate mobility, access services, sustain transnational ties, organise politically and contest decisions.
This panel invites papers on the political dimensions of these transformations. Themes may include the governance and regulation of migration technologies; transparency, accountability, contestability and redress; bias, discrimination and error; privacy, data protection and data sharing across borders and agencies; the role of private technology providers and public-private arrangements; experimentation and testing of new tools on non-citizen populations; the digital divide and unequal access to rights and services; digital diplomacy, disinformation and online mobilisation around migration; and the implications for democratic oversight and the rule of law.
Conceptual, normative, methodological and empirical contributions are welcome, including case studies, comparative work and critical policy analysis from all world regions, and we especially encourage proposals from early-career scholars.