Description
This paper develops the concept of digital externalisation to analyse how biometric and digital identity infrastructures are used to extend border controls beyond national borders, particularly in the Global South. While border externalisation typically refers to offshoring migration control through diplomacy, enforcement, and capacity-building, we argue that digital systems, such as biometric databases and digital ID schemes, now form a central mechanism in this process. Often introduced under the guise of development/migration management, these infrastructures are shaped by funding and policy agendas driven by actors in the Global North. Drawing on research that connects border externalisation with the datafication of mobility, we situate these practices within longer histories of colonialism and imperial power. Our analysis combines a systematic literature review with empirical mapping of biometric and digital ID systems, using academic sources, civil society reports, and industry data. We trace key actors, funding flows, and implementation practices, highlighting the role of private firms and international organisations. These infrastructures act as tools of pre-emptive control, but they also provoke tensions and resistance. The paper calls for a more integrated research agenda to understand how digital technologies are reshaping global mobility governance along postcolonial lines.
