Paper Title
DIGITAL REFUGEE PROTECTION: PURSUING REFUGEE POTENTIAL IN JOB HUNTING AND EDUCATION

Abstract
“Digital migration studies” emerged the use of technologies in governmental border control and highlight the importance of “new digital infrastructure for global movement”. Several initiatives of EU’s Horizon 2020 such as RANGER (RAdars for loNG distance maritime surveillance and SaR operations) and SafeShore (detection line at the border through developing Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems [RPAS]) are introduced to secure EU borders. The United Nations, together with Member States who are signatories to the 1951 refugee convention and its 1967 protocol, are offering international protection to all those who are fleeing violence and persecution. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), together with all the UN specialized agencies, NGOs, and member states, support and assist refugees, asylum seekers, and others of concern, ensuring their protection, access to rights and services. UNHCR has an advisory capacity through which the agency extends support to member states to uphold to their obligations under the refugee convention and continue to offer international protection. Refugee assistance programming are so complex to design as in order for the UN to offer assistance to those refugees’ situations, there is a need for strong evidence and data on refugee locations, conditions and needs. Regular data collection is a must in order to be able to offer targeted interventions tailored to the individual needs. In the light of this, UNHCR in 2019launched adata transformation strategy driven by the agency’s mission to protect refugees and seek long-term solutions to leverage and adapt new technologies empowering refugees, host communities and achieving self-reliance. The strategy aims to build outward-facing, collaborative and transparent data systems, that can complement and add values by key partners whether governments, the World Bank, partner platforms, and UN agencies. While, leveraging the use of new technological solutions and digital transformations are needed, nonetheless, such transformation would need to be coupled with a transformation in the organizational practices and internal procedures. This paper explainsthe existing UNHCR systemsand proposesa way forward to maximize the benefits of digitalized and holistic technological models that advance solutions and self-reliance to refugees, fulfilling their employment potential and allowing them to access quality educational opportunities.