HYBRID EVENT

Security Challenges and Opportunities in the Use of Open-Source Information and Emerging Technologies in the Field of Migration

5-6 May 2022

Online + Physical (Austria LVAK, Sala Terrena, Stiftgasse 2A, 1070 Vienna, Austria)

EVENT DESCRIPTION

More and more security practitioners and policy-makers are looking towards the use of new data sources, such as social media for the analysis of migration-related aspects, as a way to complement and fill in some of the gaps in traditional data sources and methods. The increased availability of digital content can become very tempting especially due to the timeliness, the frequency at which information can be updated, the wide coverage and the level of details it can provide.

Furthermore, technological evolutions in the field of machine learning and artificial intelligence are opening a wide range of possibilities in the field of intelligence analysis, especially concerning situation monitoring, fact-checking and pattern detection.

But do we truly understand the full implications of such evolutions, especially concerning their impact on human rights? Are practitioners ready to engage with these new tools? What are the technical, organizational and cultural implications of the introduction and use of such technologies?

The aim of the event is to discuss these questions with stakeholders from various backgrounds including law enforcement, policy-makers and representatives of international organizations working in the field of migration. How can law, technology and analysis come together in building a safer future?

KEY TOPICS

  • Human rights and security needs
  • Machine learning and AI
  • Open-source intelligence as a complementary source of information
  • Data literacy and technology expertise
  • Ukrainian refugee crisis and human trafficking

The Venue

Physical event will be hosted in Vienna, at the National Defence Academy (LVAk) (Landesverteidigungsakademie).

Address:
LVAk
Sala Terrena
Stiftgasse 2a
1070 Vienna

View on Google Maps.

Please note that the registration has been closed. If you have any questions regarding the event, registration, or travel, please contact us at criteria@hensoldt-analytics.com.

Agenda

Day 1 – Thursday, 5th May, 2022
9:30-10:15 Welcome coffee & Registration
10:15-10:30 Welcome and introductory remarks
MIRROR & CRITERIA Project Coordinator and Host
10:30-11:00 KEYNOTE 1
Moderator: Claudia Niederée

Human trafficking & migration: Ukraine case-study – Tanita Cotarcea (International Organization for Migration, IOM Romania) - slides
11:00-11:10 Q&A
11:10-12:20 Session (1) – Challenges for Policy-makers and Law Enforcement in the Field of Migration
Moderator: Joe Cannataci

Cultural Sensitivity in Migration Research – Melita Šunjić (Transcultural Campaigning, Austria)
Sociopsychological aspects of community resilience in Ukraine – Dmitri Teperik (International Centre for Defense and Security Estonia) - slides
Communication and Information Channels in Migration decision making – Sophia Wyatt (University of Vienna, Austria) - slides
Risks and opportunities of using OSINT in the asylum context – Istvan Ordog (European Union Agency for Asylum, EUAA) - slides
12:20-12:30 Q&A
12:30-13:30 Networking Lunch
13:30-14:20 Session (2) – Technologies and Security Challenges #1
Moderator: Francesco Gallo

Generation and Detection of Computer-Generated Media – Joel Brynielsson (FOI, Sweden)
Narrative Detection in Online Media – Erick Elejalde (L3S Research Center, Germany)
Image and Video Analysis in support of Risk Analysis – Vasileios Mezaris (Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, CERTH, Greece)
14:30-14:30 Q&A
14:30-15:30 Session (3) – Risk Analysis in the Security Context
Moderator: Gerhard Backfried

Human trafficking and OSINT, what should we look for and what can we learn? – Ben Brewster (University of Nottingham, UK) - slides
Big Data & OSINT: Monitoring Security Challenges for Ukrainian Refugees – Anne-Lynn Dudenhöfer (HENSOLDT Analytics, Austria) - slides
Border analysis in Estonian Police and Border Guard Board – Merli Klein (Estonian Police)
A Swedish Perspective on Open Source Analysis – Carina Axelsson-Palmer (Swedish Police)
15:30-15:40 Q&A
15:40-15:55 Coffee Break
15:55-16:55 Session (4) – The Future of Intelligence Analysis
Moderator: Aitana Radu

A matter of perspective: analyzing terrorism, migration or other complex problems – Peter de Werd (Netherlands Defence Academy)
Reframing propaganda, disinformation and … resilience – Cristina Ivan (National Intelligence Academy Romania)
Paradoxes of Open-Source Intelligence – Vytenis Benetis (i-Intelligence) - slides
Open Source Intelligence for Situational Awareness and Crisis Preparedness – Rosalie Koevoets (European Commission, DG Home) - slides
16:55-17:05 Q&A
17:05-17:15 End of Day Sum-Up
17:30 Dinner at LVAk Wien - Stiftgasse 2a, 1070 Wien
Day 2 – Friday, 6th May, 2022
9:00-10:00 Welcome coffee & Registration
10:00-10:10 Introductory remarks
MIRROR & CRITERIA Project Coordinator and Host
10:10-10:40 KEYNOTE 2
Moderator: Ina Pervan-Al Soqauer

Insights into a web-based survey on Ukrainian refugees in Austria – Judith Kohlenberger (Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria)
10:40-10:50 Q&A
10:50-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:00 Session (5) – Technologies and Security Challenges #2
Moderator: Joel Brynielsson

defalsif-AI media forensics platform – Martin Boyer (AIT Austrian Institute of Technology) - slides
Border surveillance in forested areas – Andreas Kriechbaum-Zabini (AIT Austrian Institute of Technology) - slides
The MIRROR Platform – Francesco Gallo (EURIX, Italy) - slides
The MIRROR Toolkit – Aitana Radu (University of Malta)
12:00-12:10 Q&A
12:10-13:10 Session (6) – Human Rights and Open-Source Intelligence for Humanitarian Action
Moderator: Ana Ćuća

Legal, ethical or both? Challenges of applying data protection rules in a migration context – Joe Cannataci (University of Groningen)
OSI in Humanitarian Action – Massimo Marelli (ICRC)
Open source evidence for human rights fact-finding: OSR4R as a case study – Yvonne McDermott Rees (Swansea University)
The good, the bad and the ugly of OSINT in migrant smuggling – Gabriela Sanchez (Migration Policy Centre)
13:10-13:20 Q&A
13:20-13:30 Concluding Remarks

About the Workshop

The workshop, organized under the umbrella of the EU-funded H2020-projects MIRROR (Migration-Related Risks caused by Misconceptions of Opportunities and Requirement) and CRiTERIA (Comprehensive data-driven Risk and Threat Assessment Methods for the Early and Reliable Identification, Validation and Analysis of migration-related risks) will focus on how to achieve a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities posed by the exploitation of open sources and emerging technologies in addressing contemporary security challenges.

MIRROR has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation action program under grant agreement No 832921.

CRiTERIA has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation action program under the grant agreement No 101021866.