Research by 7amleh describes a structured system that moves European money and technologies to West Asia and North Africa through three channels. The first channel is migration control: under the EU’s main instrument for third-country cooperation, 10 percent of the financial envelope is earmarked for migration governance. In 2023 and 2024 the EU signed agreements with Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Lebanon, and transfers included biometric identification systems, traveller screening tools, smart border gates and maritime surveillance infrastructure.
The second channel is research and innovation funding. Horizon Europe and other EU funds awarded grants and investments that reached companies with documented military or surveillance applications. Examples in the report include defence funding and investments linked to companies whose products have been used against journalists and activists. The third channel is direct exports of facial recognition, biometric tools, drone components and smart-city technologies, often with little binding human rights due diligence.
The report highlights severe effects in Gaza, noting about 67,000 reported deaths, mostly civilians, and a study that found life expectancy halved in the first year of the war. The International Court of Justice has found conduct that involves plausible acts of genocide. 7amleh urges extending the AI Act to exports, binding human rights due diligence, public impact assessments before migration agreements, and a reassessment of Israeli participation in Horizon Europe.
Difficult words
- migration — movement of people between countries or places
- governance — system or process of controlling and managing
- earmark — to reserve money for a specific purposeearmarked
- biometric — measurements of bodies used to identify people
- surveillance — close observation to watch people or places
- export — to send goods or technology to other countriesexports
- grant — money given to support research or projectsgrants
- due diligence — careful checks to find legal or human rights risks
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Should EU research funds support companies whose products can be used for surveillance? Why or why not?
- How could public impact assessments before migration agreements affect migrants or local communities?
- What might be the effects of exporting facial recognition and biometric tools with little human rights checks?
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