Paper details

Paper authors	Lucia Nalbandian
In panel on	Technology, Innovation and Experimentation in the Refugee Sector
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

Globalization and the proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICT) have significantly impacted what it means to seek asylum or be a refugee in the world today. Conversely, ICTs offer state and non-governmental actors the ability to understand and respond to dire situations resulting in crises. Technological innovation has intercepted the international humanitarian system, including through organizations and governments focused on refugee and asylum management. This paper examines the relationships that refugees and asylum seekers and state and non-governmental actors have with technology and how these associations have exacerbated and deteriorated old barriers in the humanitarian system while creating new barriers. This paper first discusses how refugees and asylum seekers use ICTs to support their endeavour to seek resources and assistance while state and non-governmental actors deploy technologies to respond to these requests. What follows is an assessment of classical colonialism and the white saviour complex in the humanitarian sector. To conclude, I argue that as a result of the rise of digital colonialism and the tech saviour complex, the use of technology has increased in migration and asylum management, requiring refugees and asylum seekers to negotiate their autonomy and data privacy to access humanitarian aid.

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