Digital Control or Humanitarianism? AI, Biometrics, Migration and Human Rights in Southeast Asia

Abstract

This article analyses Southeast Asian digital migration governance through the lens of governmentality, biopolitics, and decolonial theory. It examines how states and institutions deploy digital technologies—such as biometric registration, algorithmic surveillance, and AI-augmented databases—to manage migration, bolster control, and entrench structural inequities. Drawing on governmentality, the study explores how these tools shape migrant behaviour, create new figures of inclusion/exclusion, and naturalize surveillance as a condition of mobility. From a biopolitical perspective, it investigates the processes through which migrants and refugees are transformed into datafile subjects, with biometric technologies mediating their access to rights, resources, and humanitarian aid. Furthermore, decolonial theory is used to critique "data colonialism," arguing that Western-guided technology perpetuates imperial dependencies and reproduces unequal power relations in migration governance. Using case studies from Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, the research illustrates how digital migration governance increases vulnerabilities among migrants and refugees while deepening state surveillance. While often framed within a humanitarian discourse, these technologies typically reproduce exclusionary systems with minimal participation from affected communities. This article challenges dominant narratives by foregrounding the need for decolonization. It advocates for local knowledge, technological sovereignty, and community-driven alternatives that place the agency of migrants and refugees at the forefront. In doing so, it contributes to broader debates on the intersections of technology, migration, and power, calling for a more equitable governance of the digital.