The EMN Annual e-Conference "Digital Transformation in the Context of Migration" was organized

On 30 April 2021, the EMN Annual e-Conference, organized by the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Services (SEF), was held as a part of Portugal's presidency of the Council of the EU

Digital transformation transversally influences the programs of the trio of Presidencies of the EU Council - Germany, Portugal, and Slovenia, referring to the adoption of digital technology in order to improve services and procedures, and Conference discussed digital transformation in the context of migration.
 
The possibilities of applying digital technology in migration management are most prominent in the field of preserving and improving security aspects in the context of migration, implementation of digital services to improve mobility, as well as the transformation of services in order to achieve a greater degree of inclusion.
 
A number of practical examples of the implementation of artificial intelligence created for improving the user experience and better management were presented, and it was concluded that a certain degree of artificial intelligence is already partially integrated into migration management, especially through digitalization. Digitalization as such has the potential to revolutionize migration management and data analysis, but it is also important to strike a balance between opportunities and risks arising from the application of artificial intelligence because it is not an independent decision-maker and serves solely as a support tool.
 
The Conference also focused on the ethical challenges of digitalization. Some of the approaches to addressing the ethical challenges and limitations of digitalization have suggested the establishment of clear legal frameworks, legal assurance systems, as well as monitoring and evaluation of systems, especially of those in which artificial intelligence has been implemented.
 
The Conference brought together a large number of panelists from Portuguese national authorities, EMN, IOM, FRA, EASO, OECD, Dutch, Chilean, and German national authorities, and included other experts as journalists and researchers, and was attended by employees of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia.