Smart Phones for Refugees: Tools for Survival, or Surveillance?

The document examines the shift in the perception of smartphones for refugees from humanitarian assets to instruments of state surveillance. It details how several European governments are implementing or proposing legislation to search digital devices to verify identities and conduct security screenings. The authors argue that this practice raises critical questions regarding proportionality, the right to privacy, and the digital vulnerability of migrants, warning that digital data is not a 'silver bullet' for truth and can be manipulated or misinterpreted.

• Smartphones have transitioned from being viewed as vital humanitarian resources that empower refugees to becoming tools for state surveillance and verification of entitlement to international protection.
• European governments use the search of digital devices and social media profiles for two primary reasons: to combat identity fraud by verifying an applicant's identity and to identify potential security threats as a counter-terrorism measure.
• Belgium adopted legislation in November 2017 allowing immigration authorities to search digital devices, despite criticism from the Belgian Privacy Commission regarding data protection safeguards.
• Germany and Norway have also explored or proposed provisions to allow law enforcement to access the smartphones and social media accounts of asylum seekers for safety checks and identification.
• The assumption that digital traces provide an objective 'truth' is flawed because users may self-censor or adapt their digital profiles to avoid persecution, and devices are sometimes shared among multiple people.
• The practice of searching smartphones creates significant risks regarding the principle of proportionality and the right to privacy, potentially damaging the trust between vulnerable refugees and authorities.

APA

Jumbert, M. G., Bellanova, R., & Gellert, R. (2018). Smart Phones for Refugees: Tools for Survival, or Surveillance? Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/5ecdc91d-9935-40e5-b319-f66052bca3c3/Jumbert Bellanova Gellert - Smart Phones for Refugees Tools for Survival or Surveillance PRIO Policy Brief 4-2018.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Jumbert, Maria Gabrielsen, Rocco Bellanova, and Raphaël Gellert. Smart Phones for Refugees: Tools for Survival, or Surveillance? Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2018. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/5ecdc91d-9935-40e5-b319-f66052bca3c3/Jumbert Bellanova Gellert - Smart Phones for Refugees Tools for Survival or Surveillance PRIO Policy Brief 4-2018.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jumbert |first1=Maria Gabrielsen |last2=Bellanova |first2=Rocco |last3=Gellert |first3=Raphaël |title=Smart Phones for Refugees: Tools for Survival, or Surveillance? |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=April 2018 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/5ecdc91d-9935-40e5-b319-f66052bca3c3/Jumbert Bellanova Gellert - Smart Phones for Refugees Tools for Survival or Surveillance PRIO Policy Brief 4-2018.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jumbert2018smart, author = {Jumbert, Maria Gabrielsen and Bellanova, Rocco and Gellert, Raphaël}, title = {{Smart Phones for Refugees: Tools for Survival, or Surveillance?}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2018}, month = apr, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/5ecdc91d-9935-40e5-b319-f66052bca3c3/Jumbert Bellanova Gellert - Smart Phones for Refugees Tools for Survival or Surveillance PRIO Policy Brief 4-2018.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }