The legitimation of digital surveillance through migration securitization narratives in the United States and the United Kingdom

Abstract

This thesis examines how migration-related narratives contribute to the legitimation of digital surveillance in liberal democracies, focusing on the United States and the United Kingdom. Over the last two decades, surveillance technologies such as biometric systems, predictive algorithms, and large-scale databases have become increasingly central to migration governance. While these developments are often associated with authoritarian contexts, they have also expanded significantly within liberal democracies, raising important questions about the relationship between security, technology, and democratic values. Drawing on International Political Sociology, securitisation theory, and critical surveillance studies, the research analyses how migration is framed as a source of insecurity, risk, and disorder, and how these narratives contribute to making intrusive surveillance practices politically and socially acceptable. The study adopts a comparative qualitative approach based on discourse analysis, complemented by public opinion data from both countries.