CURBING IRREGULAR MIGRATION: A GLANCE AT OPEN-SOURCE INTELLIGENCE AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL
In today’s evolving world, the dynamics and paradigms of recruiting and trafficking of persons and smuggling of migrants into different parts of the world especially Europe and Asia are constantly changing hence government also has to evolve with strategies and operational framework to tackle the embarrassing menace that plague our nation. Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and other digital platforms can serve as powerful, multi-faceted tools in a comprehensive strategy to curb irregular migration from Nigeria. Their application moves beyond mere awareness campaigns to proactive intervention, intelligence gathering, and system strengthening. There are chunks of phases to irregular migration and this piece is intended to give perspectives to digital modern ways of dealing with the issue at hands in the area of irregular migration.
- Proactive Prevention and Awareness Campaigns (The “Pre-Departure” Phase)
- This is the most direct application, targeting potential irregular migrants before they embark on the dangerous journey to any part of the world. Targeted social media campaigns instead of generic ads, by way of leveraging on the use of Open-Source Intelligence, OSINT to identify and target specific demographics.
Tools:
Use Facebook/Instagram/Google Ads targeting tools to focus on users in migration-prone states (Edo, Delta, Ogun, Lagos, Kano etc.), within specific age ranges between 18-35 years, who show interests related to travel abroad, international jobs, or who follow pages of known travel agencies or consultants.
Strategy:
Deliver counter-narratives with real stories from returnees, data on the dangers of the Sahara and Mediterranean, and information on legal pathways.
Debunking Fake News and Traffickers Propaganda
- Traffickers use social media to post glamorous but fake success stories of migrants in Europe and some parts of Asia.
Tools:
Establish dedicated units within government agencies saddled with matters related to migration such as Nigerian Immigration Service and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) that use OSINT techniques to monitor these pages and channels. Use reverse image search (TinEye, Google Reverse Image Search) to prove the images are stolen from unrelated social media influencers or stock photos.
Strategy:
- Interactive and relatable content should be deployed on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels for maximum impact debunking fake success stories and myths on official platform to educate and orientate public on the dangers and prices related to irregular migration.
- Create short, gripping documentaries and testimonials from survivors. Adopting geo-tagging and metadata verification to prove the authenticity of the stories e.g., showing real locations in Asian and European detention centers. Partnership with popular social media influencers and blog owners and by giving survivors ambassadorial honorary award to amplify the message.
- Support for Potential and Returned Migrants (The “Intervention and Reintegration” Phase)
Digital platforms can serve as lifelines for those considering migrating or those who have returned. Anonymous counseling, reporting via tool free hotlines and leveraging encrypted apps and social media platforms.
Tools:
Promote and operate hotlines and counseling services via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Telegram. These platforms are widely used, offer encryption, and allow for anonymous reporting of traffickers and unsafe conditions. OSINT can help map the routes and methods reported to warn others. Virtual reintegration programs into the society for returned migrants, so as to safe their faces from community stigmatization.
Strategy:
- Establishment of effective (digital or physical) learning platforms to provide returnees with digital skills training. Create online support groups on Facebook or dedicated forums where returnees can share experiences and access psychological support, reducing the stigma and isolation that can lead to re-trafficking.
- Crowdsourced Information Hubs and develop a dedicated website or app that acts as a central repository for accurate information on legal migration pathways, scholarship opportunities, visa requirements, and accredited agencies. This counters the misinformation peddled by traffickers and their agents.
- Intelligence Gathering and Law Enforcement (The “Disruption” Phase)
This is where pure OSINT shines, enabling authorities to dismantle the networks facilitating irregular migration. Mapping trafficker networks, identifying and connecting the dots between facilitators and recruiters.
Tools:
- OSINT analysts can monitor social media platforms to Identify and track profiles of suspected travel agents or middlemen and facilitators on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Analyze their networks, associations, and communication patterns.
- Digital infiltration and monitoring of closed forums and groups on Telegram or Facebook where routes, prices, tactics, techniques and procedure (TTPs) are discussed.
- Financial Tracing: OSINT can be deployed to identify bank accounts, mobile money numbers, and cryptocurrency wallets used to collect payments from victims. This financial intelligence is crucial for evidence.
- Using tools like Hunchly or manual methods to archive web pages, take timestamped screenshots, and preserve social media posts provides a digital paper trail that can be used to prosecute traffickers under laws like the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act. Digital evidences are admissible in court.
- By analyzing trends in online searches google trends for terms like how to travel to Europe by road, social media group activities, and advertisement spikes, authorities can identify periods or locations where recruitment is intensifying.
- International Cooperation and Policy Making (The “Strategic” Phase)
Tools:
- Open-Source Intelligence, Vulnerabilities and web crawling tools can provide sufficient precision and data-driven evidences needed for cross-border and international cooperation cum effective policy and advocacy in tackling irregular migration
Strategy:
- Government agencies such as National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Police Force can use OSINT reports to provide actionable intelligence to Europol, Interpol, and destination countries about specific routes, vessel departures, and modus operandi. Verified digital evidence is a universal language while the goal and target is the same and one which is to cut the head of the snake and prosecute the bad guys.
- Data crawled or gathered from digital foot prints of traffickers e.g. most common recruitment methods, primary source states, most used social media platforms by traffickers, tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) could provide enough informed concrete evidences for policymakers to take informed based decisions and design focused interventions, allocate resources effectively, and measure the impact of their programs.
OSINT and digital platforms are not a silver bullet, but they are force multipliers. They transform the fight against irregular migration from a reactive to a proactive and intelligence-driven endeavor. By integrating these tools into a holistic strategy that encompasses prevention, enforcement, protection, and partnership, Nigerian authorities and civil society can more effectively dismantle trafficking networks, protect vulnerable citizens, and provide credible alternatives to the perilous journey of irregular migration.
Written by:
IT Adebisi (Bsc, Msc, Phd in view)
07065848647
