Jessica Bither

Senior Expert Migration
#migration #digitaltechnologies #humandignity

Jessica is a Senior Expert for Migration and leads the Foundation’s work on digital technologies and human mobility. Her expertise includes the intersection of tech and migration, the international dimension of German migration policy, and the geopolitics of managing human mobility across borders. She has served as an analyst, advisor and member of strategy processes, including as a Migration Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United State (GMF). She frequently speaks and writes on current migration and refugee policy issues and is also a trained moderator and policy dialogue facilitator. Jessica holds a Master’s degree in international relations from the Free University of Berlin, the Humboldt University, and the University of Potsdam, and a Bachelor’s degree in international studies from Vassar College (USA).

Contact
Phone +49 30 220025-364
Social media

Publications:

  • Jessica Bither and Hannes Einsporn: "Escaping the Deterrence Trap: Key Building Blocks for a Better Migration System", Policy Brief, Robert Bosch Stiftung (July 2024).
  • Jessica Bither, “The emerging digital nervous system: Technology, mixed migration, and human mobility across borders”, Mixed Migration Review 2023, Mixed Migration Centre (December 2022).
  • Jessica Bither and Astrid Ziebarth, “Automating Decision-Making in Migration Policy: A Navigation Guide” Migration Strategy Group, Bertelsmann Stiftung, The German Marshall Fund of the United States, Robert Bosch Stiftung. (November 2022).
  • Jessica Bither and Astrid Ziebarth, “AI, Digital Identities, Biometrics, Blockchain: A Primer on the Use of Technology in Migration Management”, Migration Strategy Group, Bertelsmann Stiftung, The German Marshall Fund of the United States, Robert Bosch Stiftung. (June 2020).
Her articles on our website
Policy Briefing

Migration policy: Why deterring people from moving is not a solution

In the first issue of our new Policy Briefing publication series, our migration experts offer ideas for a humane migration policy.
July 17, 2024
Migration

Clear rules for the use of digital technologies

From automated visa decisions based on algorithms, models to predict migration patterns, to refugees shopping for groceries via iris scan: Senior Expert Jessica Bither...
December 06, 2022
Discussion

What international migration policy must address

Three experts explain what needs to be on the agenda of the United Nations International Migration Review Forum.
May 10, 2022
Interview

“What Are We Optimizing For?”

Our Senior Migration Expert, Jessica Bither, describes risks and challenges of applying AI-based technologies in the field of migration.
January 12, 2022