Co-designing a fair digital asylum procedure

Co-designing a fair digital asylum procedure

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Posted on 14 June 2024 by Koen Leurs

Update on proceedings and plans

Dear readers,

UTRECHT, JUNE 14 2024 — The research project “Co-designing a fair digital asylum procedure” is excited to share with you the latest developments and progress, including our upcoming events.

The project aims to reconstruct past govermental practices on digital identification of asylum seekers in the Netherlands and to improve such procdures to both asylum seekers and institutions involved. As we continue to push the boundaries of knowledge in this field, your support and interest have been instrumental in driving our momentum forward.

Upcoming events

Stakeholders meeting for fair digital asylum procedure in the Netherlands
September-October 2024 | Utrecht University, Netherlands

 

A joint stakeholders meeting will take place in September/October 2024 where all relevant parties will be invited to respond to our findings and think along to set a future agenda. More updates on this to follow.

 

Past events

 

STS-MIGTEC Workshop 2024: Data Matters in Migration and Border Control
8–9 April | Utrecht University, Netherlands

 

group photo participants MigTec paper workshop Utrecht

The research network STS-MIGTEC and Utrecht University’s focus area Governing the Digital Society with its special interest group Digital Migration invited contributors to present their work at the intersection of science and technology studies (STS), critical migration, security, surveillance and border studies, and related disciplines.

 

Journal publications

Three manuscripts have been prepared and submitted to international journals, showcasing our research findings and insights:

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (Forthcoming). A manuscript titled “Encountering the digital border: Smartphone screening in the Dutch asylum procedure” authored by Koen Leurs, Kinan Alajak,Rianne Dekker, and Albert Salah

Forced Migration Review: The manuscript authored by Alajak, Ozkul, Leurs, Dekker, and Salah was published in May 2024.

> Alajak, K., Ozkul, D., Leurs, K., Dekker, R., & Salah, A. (2024). The dangers and limitations of mobile phone screening in asylum processes. Forced Migration Review, 73(1), 13–16. https://www.fmreview.org/digital-disruption/alajak-ozkul-leurs-dekker-salah/ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In progress: Manuscript titled “Divergent effects of datafication: who are enabled or curtailed by smartphone screening in the Dutch asylum procedure?” and authored by Dekker, Alajak, Leurs, Schans, and Salah.

Public engagement

Following our Forced Migration Review paper:

 

We are proud to have contributed to the report titled “Rapport fundamentele heroriëntatie asielketen – Bouwstenen voor het asielbeleid en het asielstelsel.” Through our collaboration with the authors at ABDTOPConsult Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties, our efforts have been reflected in the final report. Notably, our input provided input on discussions on pages 57-58 regarding the screening of data carriers and recommendations for information provision on page 123.

Our creative team is still making progress on delivering an explainer video aiming at informing potential asylum seekers in the Netherlands of the digital identification process. The explainer video is planned to be published on VluchteglingWerk Netherlands’ website RefugeeHelp.com. The video will be available soon in English, Dutch, Arabic and Turkish, along side six other languages. To support this effort of knowledge co-creation and transfer with relevant societal partners, Utrecht University granted us Public Engagement funding.

Past presentations

Jun 2022 Self-organized event “Migration and borders in a digital and datafied world”,  Utrecht University, the Netherlands bringing together 50+ researchers from NL, Europe and beyond working on relevant themes

 
Nov 2022 Digital Society Conference, Jaarbeurs, Utrecht, Netherlands

 
Jan 2023 Paper presentation at Symposium ‘Design for debate’ of the IRSPM Special Interest Group ‘Design-led approaches to renewing public management and governance’. Utrecht School of Governance, Utrecht.

 
Jan 2023 Evens Education Prize Exchange Meeting 2020, Utrecht, Netherlands, meeting with European, practitioners and social workers, see video recap.

 
Mar 2023 STS-MigTec and Processing Citizenship Paper Workshop 2023, Bologna, Italy. Research network at the intersection of science and technology studies (STS) and critical migration, security and border studies

 
Jun 2023 Migration and Societal Change Conference, Utrecht University. Paper presentation & co-organized sessions on digital migration studies and migration and borders in digital and datafied worlds

 
Jul 2023 Paper presentation at IMISCOE, Warsaw, Poland (International Migration Research Network)

 
Jul 2023 Keynote presentation at Radboud University Network on Migrant Inclusion (RUNOMI) research day Digitalization and Migrant Inclusion

 
Jul 2023 Paper presentation at European Workshops in International Studies(EWIS), University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

 
September 2023 Paper presentation at Migration, Ethnic Relations and Multiculturalism

Research (MSc)

We will continue to keep you updated on our progress. In the meantime, we extend our best wishes to all involved in this timely application.

The Research Team:

Koen Leurs

Rianne Dekker

Kinan Alajak

Albert Salah

Djmalia Schans