How tech firms can do their part to end migrants’ suffering

The plight of US-bound Chinese migrants duped by false information on social media highlights how people smugglers prey on those seeking a better life
Tech companies must work with governments and civil society organisations to remove misinformation online that promotes illegal activity

Mohammed Sinan Siyech

Published: 4:30pm, 15 Feb 2024

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A recent report by US television channel CBS has revealed that Chinese immigrants are the fastest-growing group of undocumented migrants to the United States. Braving long journeys through several countries, thousands are reported to be entering from China every year.

Video footage shot by CBS showed a specific gap in the border wall between Mexico and San Diego, California, where several Chinese migrants walked through to cross the border. Surprisingly, many officials at the border appear to be aware of the large numbers crossing through such gaps, but do not take much action.

US border authorities have revealed that more than 24,000 Chinese immigrants were detained in 2023 and that the numbers are expected to increase in 2024. Several factors seem to be driving this trend of migration. First, within China itself, the conditions created by the central government seem to have motivated people to head for the US, which they perceive to be freer in terms of democratic rights.

In addition, many see better economic prospects in the US, given that China is facing a slowdown and many people were deeply affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns. And third, the deterioration in US-China relations has led to fewer visas being issued to Chinese nationals.

From a high of 2.2 million temporary visas granted to Chinese nationals in 2016, only about 160,000 were granted in 2022, a fall of more than 90 per cent. This has led some Chinese citizens to take desperate measures to enter the US for a better life.

02:45

Influx of Chinese migrants on hazardous Central American route to reach US

One of the most ubiquitous tools in this whole story is social media. In the case of Chinese migrants, the platforms are TikTok and Douyin – the Chinese version of TikTok – which have been useful in spreading information about immigration routes.

Smugglers – advertised as “travel agents” – post videos on these platforms to demonstrate the different routes and pathways migrants can take to enter the US. Many of the immigrants interviewed at the border pointed to these types of videos as one factor that had helped facilitate their arrival in the US.

However, these migrants are far from the only group using social media to find illicit routes into another country. Migrants across the world with little to no legal or financial means of entering developed nations use social media to understand the best routes into a nation.

With the US among the biggest targets, given its size and need for immigrants, channels on Facebook and YouTube regularly promote this sort of migration. For instance, a now removed YouTube channel gave the best routes into the US without having to hire a local guide in Mexico, who are known as coyotes.

Even nations with smaller numbers of undocumented immigrants, such as the United Kingdom, are dealing with people who are using information from social media to try to enter their country. The BBC reported in 2022 that various organised crime groups rely on social media to showcase their ability to safely transport people from their country of origin to their intended destination. The platforms of large companies such as Twitter and Meta have also been used by these organisations to promote their activities.

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Despite being advertised as relatively simple methods to enter another country, social media posts that promote illegal immigration are rarely truthful about the perils of the journeys involved. Many people travelling such routes say they have been cheated by groups managing the migration.

These migrants are often charged more for the journey than is advertised, the journey is more dangerous than they were led to believe and the conditions are dire, often including a lack of proper sanitation facilities or food, and cramped sleeping quarters. Some of those making such perilous journeys end up dying because of the conditions.

In addition, social media also facilitates the spread of misinformation around immigration laws. For example, many smugglers spread false information that US borders had reopened near the end of the pandemic and that it was easier to take advantage of laws allowing migrants to claim asylum.

02:13

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Migrants are harmed by acting on these false claims, getting arrested when they try to enter the country and being deported back to their home nation. Most of this is never mentioned by the human traffickers who naturally benefit from the misinformation and the demand for the services it creates.

It is in this context that tech companies must work with governments and civil society organisations to remove this kind of misinformation and other posts that promote illegal activity online. For example, the British government has created a voluntary partnership with social media companies in an effort to curb such content and even publicise the perils of this type of travel, although this was also done with an eye to appeasing the Conservative government’s voter base.

Social media has clearly changed the landscape of how people try to move across borders, and one unfortunate result has been a surge in misinformation that can put migrants at risk of exploitation and even death. Effective partnerships between researchers, governments and social media companies can play a significant role in helping ensure the safety of many people across the world.

Mohammed Sinan Siyech is a doctoral candidate at the Islamic and Middle East Studies Department at the University of Edinburgh and a non-resident associate fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi