Methodology for case study exploration and research

This blog builds on our earlier piece, Data on the Move: Tracing Risks and Rights within Migration Digital Infrastructure, which laid out the evolving role of digital systems in shaping the rights and risks of people on the move. Building on that framing, we now outline our approach to operationalising this inquiry through case study research. Our methodology centres on studying specific migration corridors where digital infrastructure – such as identity systems, payment platforms, and data-sharing mechanisms – is actively reshaping how rights are accessed or denied. This allows us to examine both the technological and political dimensions of digitalisation in migration governance.

Our plan of action:

For our research on digital infrastructure within migration, the primary mechanism through which we examine the lived experiences of people on the move and their interactions with technology is by conducting case study research along certain corridors of interest. The corridors will be shortlisted based on the following criteria:  

1. Longevity of the crisis to track the evolution of the crisis in a particular site, and its resulting impact in terms of the number of people affected or displaced
2. The level of technological mediation in the evolution of the crisis, how deployment of digital technologies has affected movement, and whether they have aided or hindered migration
3. The policy impetus for various actors in the ecosystem to intervene through technological mediation and the existing incentives that affect migration management

Early research suggests that the aforementioned criteria resonate with multiple migratory contexts globally. For the nearly 3 million Venezuelan migrants that have fled to Colombia in the wake of a growing economic crisis, integration has been made possible through the provision of a Special Permanence Permit. This grants temporary residence and access to social services and jobs for Venezuelans residing in Colombia. Similarly, for Syrian refugees living in Turkey, the country has adopted digital tools to register and monitor refugees through e-Kimlik (electronic identification cards) and mobile apps for service access. However, rising anti-refugee sentiments have led to a series of violent encounters, leaving many Syrians in threat of danger. 

In other parts of the world, climate-induced displacement is leading to innovative methods for identity and cultural preservation, with the state of Tuvalu aiming to set up a digital nation to recreate its land, archive its rich history and culture, and move all governmental functions into a digital space. 

However, these growing crises and technological deployment are usually subsumed under the policy objectives of a nation-state, and the re-election of the Trump administration is an example that depicts how quickly incentives shift. The reignited calls for stricter migration control and border surveillance infrastructure to restrict movement into the USA through its southern borders highlight the ill treatment of people on the move and the growing disregard towards their rights. 

The vectors that guide our research

In addition to the criteria and potential examples outlined above, we will present the selected migration corridors and related migrant experiences in light of the following vectors:

1. The state of play of technologies in migration management, for instance the use of AI for decision-making in asylum-seeking procedures by border agencies and its impact on the migrant
2. Flow of migration data among various actors, usually observed in interoperable data-sharing infrastructure set up by law enforcement agencies, commercial actors, and immigration officers to access biometric data, with minimal public transparency
3. Incidence of bottom-up data governance and policymaking in approaches to migration management, through the involvement of people on the move within consultations for migration policy-making and ability to access information on where their personal data is being shared
4. Funding mechanisms and prevailing power structures, to map how large actors are placed in favourable positions to determine the design, development, and deployment of technologies, and how these can be addressed by prioritising community-led, bottom-up technology innovation
5. Recommended stakeholder actions and policy measures catered towards large actors like states, multilaterals, and technology providers to safeguard people on the move from the potential risks of sharing data 

Corridors in Focus: Philippines and South Africa

In 2025, we are undertaking in-depth case studies in two sites: the Philippines and South Africa. Both reflect high degrees of technological mediation in migration governance, and offer contrasting regional and institutional dynamics.

Philippines

Our work in the Philippines seeks to focus on the role of digital ID and digital payments in the delivery of services to people on the move within and outside the country. We aim to understand how communities displaced due to disaster access aid and service delivery through public technologies. This helps us unpack upcoming conceptions of DPI in climate action for internally displaced persons (IDPs), appreciate the presence of community actors in supporting this landscape, and situate the relevance of data infrastructures in this context. Our core research questions and objectives have been highlighted in greater depth here. 

South Africa

Our work in South Africa investigates how digital ID systems become entry points into broader data infrastructures that shape the daily realities of migrant and refugee communities. We’re interested in how data about mobile populations moves across government, financial, and humanitarian actors and what governance models, if any, determine who controls this flow. By examining the institutions building these systems and the gaps in consent, accountability, and redress, we aim to understand how data infrastructures are remaking the terms of recognition, inclusion, and autonomy for people on the move.  You can read a detailed overview of our research questions and objectives here. 

Looking ahead

As digital infrastructures become central to how states govern mobility, the need to interrogate their design, deployment, and impact becomes more urgent. This research moves beyond abstract discussions of technological potential or risk by situating analysis within specific migration corridors and highlighting the politics, exclusions, and lived experiences which are often rendered invisible in dominant narratives. By tracing how digital systems mediate rights, agency, and belonging, our goal is to reimagine more participatory, transparent, and accountable approaches to data infrastructures.

If you or someone you know works at the intersection of human mobility and digital infrastructure, particularly in the Philippines or South Africa, we would love to exchange insights – please reach out to us at [email protected].