DiGrenz

Potential and Limits of Digitalisation in Asylum Procedures

Funding body: University of Graz, project “Unkonventionelle Forschung” (Unconventional Research)

Every year, several thousand asylum procedures are conducted in Austria. Many observers criticise the partly poor quality and the above-average length of the procedures, which is attributable, among other things, to the high number of cases to be processed.

The project “DIGrenz – Potential and Limits of Digitalisation in Asylum Procedures” examines whether and how asylum procedures can be improved through the use of digital technologies.

One such digitalisation measure could be, for example, the use of the speech analysis tool “voice biometrics” to determine the country of origin more easily. However, the use of such measures also raises serious fundamental rights questions, since asylum procedures are highly sensitive. A wrong decision – regardless of whether it is made with or without digital aids – can have existential and life-threatening consequences for the person concerned. From a legal perspective, the project therefore aims to examine the advantages and disadvantages of digitalisation and, on that basis, the (constitutional) legal limits and conditions.

Participating institutions

Profile Area “Smart Regulation”, University of Graz

Institute of Public Law and Political Science, University of Graz

Institute of Information Management, FH JOANNEUM