For a while now, civil society organizations have been denouncing the dangers of the use of new technologies and Artificial Intelligence in the field of migration and border control, including the deployment of intrusive surveillance technology and the collection of biometric data from people on the move. The lack of transparency and regulation surrounding these processes and their impact results in a lack of accountability on the part of the authorities, tech companies, as well as public research institutions, as it poses severe difficulties in the monitoring of likely violations of human rights. The recently adopted EU Artificial Intelligence Act is a missed opportunity to safeguard against the harms of intrusive AI. Instead, it excludes the field of migration and law enforcement from important regulations. This report is one in a series of research publications produced by the members of the Border Violence Monitoring Network, presenting an assessment on Bulgaria.

With a lack of concrete case studies and research from countries along the so-called Balkan Route, we look into the developments in border surveillance in these regions and analyze the (actual and potential) harmful impacts of these technologies on people crossing borders.