City Research Online

Abstract

While the technical and ethical challenges of using drones in Search-and-Rescue operations for transnationally displaced individuals have been explored, how drone footage can shape psychological processes at play and impact post-rescue legal decision-making has been overlooked. This paper investigates how transnationally displaced individuals' social identities are portrayed in court and the role of drone footage in reinforcing these identities. We conducted a discourse analysis of 11 open-access asylum and deportation cases following drone-assisted Search-and-Rescue operations at sea (2015–2021). Our results suggest two primary identity constructions: as victims and as traffickers, each underpinned by conflicting psychological processes. The defence portrayed the defendants through the lens of vulnerability, while the prosecution through unlawfulness. Psychological attributions of drone footage contributed differently to identity portrayal, influencing legal decisions regarding the status and entitlements of transnationally displaced individuals. We discuss the socio-ethical implications of these findings and propose a psychosocial account for responsible innovation in technology mediated humanitarian contexts.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of ORBIT. This article is available under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND license and permits non-commercial use of the work as published, without adaptation or alteration provided the work is fully attributed.
Publisher Keywords:	Humanitarianism, Social identity, Drone footage, Decision-making, Legal proceedings
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology K Law > K Law (General) T Technology > T Technology (General)
Departments:	School of Science & Technology
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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