Dr Helen Hintjens

International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University Rotterdam

From the Great Lakes and Rwanda in particular, to asylum and refugee rights in the EU (UK, Netherlands, France). Central to my interests are how human rights protection and social justice issues relate to post-colonial relations. How do social movement approaches, with a focus on networks, manage to secure public accountability and how do more participatory approaches relate to broader democratic approaches?

My interest in surveillance came from observing how tighter anti-terror and anti-migrant legislation, in many global settings, has resulted in policing priorities curtailing established civil and political rights. Those who are the main targets of surveillance are my central concern. The technologies remain ‘untargetable’ to some extent, and makes most of us, potentially surveillable. I have worked on pro-asylum networks, on and on advocates themselves. Many of those I have worked with and on, do see links between anti-terror legislation and the broader political climate for social movements, and human rights issues.

Human rights defenders are an example of a group with untypically high levels of awareness of what new technologies of surveillance imply, both for their own work and for the broader rights of citizens and non-citizens, legal or otherwise. Seeking to ‘catch’ undocumented migrants, and working to ‘prevent’ terrorism are just two ways that surveillance by the state and private companies – has been extended beyond what was previously thought compatible with liberal democracy. 

I have a proposed research topic around Surveillance, security and rights issues in relation to migration and refugees in particular.

Theme discussed with a Netherlands LISS informal meeting on 6 July 2009: Human Rights Defenders in the EU: Protection or Surveillance?