Fill, Alice (2025) Digital Patrolling: Emerging Bordering Practices around Europe. Florence, Florence University Press.
In December 2023, the European Union reached a political agreement on the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, intensifying the role of risk assessments and screening procedures in migration governance. In August 2024, the Artificial Intelligence Act came into force. While it represents a partial response to some of the questions raised in this book at the crossroads between human rights protection and technological experimentation, it nonetheless largely falls short in regulating the complexities of AI in border management. Today, the digitalisation of borders, particularly in terms of surveillance and patrolling, remains a central and growing concern.
At the same time, encouraging efforts are emerging to challenge digital patrolling practices at the European Union’s external borders, with cases being brought before national and supranational courts. These cases often tell the story of tragic incidents, such as the shipwreck off the coast of Pylos, Greece, in June 2023, resulting in the deaths of over 600 people. Despite the ongoing investigation, it has become increasingly clear that the vessel was detected long before the disaster through aerial patrolling activities.