Technology and countersurveillance: holding governments accountable for refugee externalization policies

This paper explores how technology and counter-surveillance can be used to hold governments accountable for the treatment of refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants beyond their borders. Externalization policies rely on secrecy and obfuscation. Carried out far from the public gaze, governments implement a range of measures aimed at ensuring that the precise details of their operations are not made public. Without knowing exactly what governments are doing, it is difficult to demonstrate that states are breaching their international obligations. Drawing on examples from Australia, Europe and the United States, this article examines how refugees, migrants, activists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have used technology to pierce this veil of secrecy, and how the images and data collected have been used in legal challenges and to influence public opinion. The aim is to learn from past experiences to inform the more effective use of technology in accountability strategies going forward.