Money, knowledge and technology in exchange for shifting Europe’s borders.

The budget Brussels makes available for European border protection has increased by billions in the past few years. The reason: terrorism and the growing numbers of refugees. New surveillance technology is a growth market that is literally gaining ground because of all the deals Brussels is making with so-called third countries: After the Turkey Deal, agreements are now also being made with countries such as Niger and Sudan, and, if current EU president Malta has anything to say about it, with Libya too, as soon as possible. Money, knowledge and technology in exchange for shifting Europe’s borders.

With: Martin Pedersen Martin Lemberg-Pedersen (Danish researcher at Aalborg University), Ibrahim Diallo (journalist/director Radio Sahara), Olivier Neola (deputy head of the EUCAP mission Sahel Nigher), Rhissa Feltou (mayor of Agadez) and President Mahamadou Issoufou, head of state of Niger.

(This is VPRO Backlight’s contribution to the pan-European investigative journalism project ‘Security for Sale’, in which newspaper and television journalists from 10 European countries are working together, an initiative of the online journalism platform De Correspondent).