The case of rWallet: A blockchain-based tool to navigate some challenges related to irregular migration

Abstract

Migration (irregular and forced) represents one of the major challenges the international community faces today. Inasmuch as the phenomenon of irregular and forced migration is the marker of the state of socio-economic systems around the world, the response to and the ways of navigating the resulting multi-scalar challenges mirror not only the efficiency of the global regulatory frameworks, but also our civility. Recognizing the potential inherent in sophisticated information and communication technology (ICT), specifically the blockchain technology and smart contracts, this paper focuses on the special case of “welcome centers” that irregular migrants enter in the hope of acquiring international legal protection and thus refugee status. Since the process may be time-consuming and the living conditions undignified, this paper proposes a tool, named here “responsible wallet”, aka rWallet, that bears the promise of navigating some of these challenges. rWallet derives from the recognition that in modern societies ICT should serve the purpose of improving the quality of life of all people.