AI Is Big Business At Europe's Borders

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Exemptions for research and growing militarisation of border policy across Europe are creating lucrative opportunities. Defence firms benefit most and now research institutes in Switzerland are also cashing in. This content was published on December 11, 2025 - 09:00 11 minutes Giorgos Christides, Katy Fallon, Florian Schmitz, Deana Mrkaja, Marguerite Meyer

• Deutsch de KI und Migration: Big Business an der Grenze? Original Read more: KI und Migration: Big Business an der Gr
• Português pt Suíça financia IA usada por Frontex em controle migratório Read more: Suíça financia IA usada por Frontex em controle migrat

For years, Greek border guards along the frontier with North Macedonia relied on an unusual early-warning system. The abrupt take off of startled storks from their resting spots on the bridge over the Axios River signalled that someone was moving in the bushes. Often it was migrants attempting to leave Greece to continue along the Balkan route towards northern Europe.

Bridge over the Axios River, which flows through the border area between Greece and North Macedonia. Alexandros Avramidis

But the long-legged birds will soon be replaced by cameras, radar systems, and drones. Greece is rolling out the“Evros model” from here to Albania. It is a high-tech, AI-supported border wall along the Turkish border. Northern European states, led by Germany, want fewer asylum seekers, and the European Union is providing substantial funding for new technologies, including the €35.4 million ($41.2 million)“E-Surveillance” programme.

Lack of democratic oversight

Across Europe, migration is increasingly being defined as a security risk.“Anything to do with borders is gradually being insulated from democratic scrutiny, accountability and transparency,” explains Bram Vranken of Corporate Europe Observatory, a Brussels-based watchdog that investigates lobbying in the tech and defence sectors.

This article is the product of a cross-border investigation conducted by five journalists from Greece, Germany, the UK, and Switzerland.

The team examined developments across eight countries for publication partners Swissinfo (Switzerland), Die Tageszeitung (Germany), Solomon (Greece), and Inkstick Media (US).

More than two dozen interviews were conducted with officials, border guards, and other individuals with first-hand knowledge. The team conducted research on site and reviewed hundreds of pages of public documents, as well as internal files, freedom-of-information requests, procurement papers, and technical records.

The months-long investigation was supported by the fund for investigative journalism in Europe IJ4EUExternal link, and the Pulitzer CenterExternal link.

The move to treat migration as a military and defence sector issue, against a backdrop of loosely regulated data laws, confidentiality clauses, and minimal public scrutiny, has opened up a lucrative line of business backed by powerful lobbyists in Brussels. A new AI ecosystem is fuelling profits for defence contractors, security firms, and increasingly research institutes, including in Switzerland

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