The misinformation against migration evolvesbecoming an increasingly effective weapon driven by advances such as artificial intelligence (AI), which forces journalists and the general public to acquire new skills to combat it and not fall into deceptions motivated by xenophobia.
In this context, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and EFE, with the support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), will give the webinar ‘Migration without stories: how to communicate without misinforming’ on April 24, which offers practical keys to dealing with migration with rigor, in addition to the opportunity to acquire skills in detecting hoaxes that attack migrants.
“In a context in which misinformation about migration spreads with greater speed and sophistication, especially with the growing use of artificial intelligence, this seminar is key to strengthening the capabilities of those who communicate“, the IOM regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Diego Beltrand, assured EFE.
Thus, he added, the IOM considers that “Promoting information integrity not only improves the quality of public debatebut also contributes to protecting migrants from narratives that distort reality and fuel discrimination.”
The online course will be taught by the IOM and EFE Verifica, EFE’s disinformation analysis service, which has, among other accreditations, the endorsement of its membership in the International Verification Network (IFCN, in English), which guarantees compliance with the most high ethical and professional standards.
Sergio Hernández, head of EFE Verifica, highlighted that “the students of this workshop They will learn to identify manipulation patterns and they will become familiar with useful technological tools, in a context of misinformation poisoning aggravated by the growing use of artificial intelligence.”
“The relevance of the proposal is directly related to the serious consequences of misinformation directed against migrants, used to spread unfair stereotypes and fuel hate speech. This distorted and stigmatizing vision sometimes leads to violent acts, as has been seen in Latin America and Europe in recent years,” Hernández explained.
Criminalization and attacks on migrants
The criminalization of Venezuelan migrants in surrounding countries, the attacks on a mosque in the British town of Southport or the calls to persecute North African citizens in the Spanish town of Torre Pacheco are examples of how Slander against this group becomes a catalyst for discriminatory attacksaccentuating the need for seminars like this.
The AECID recalls that “the contribution of migrants in host societies is significant and, however, is currently being made invisible by hate narratives and anti-rights discourses that are imposed in the media space”, a “noise that makes it difficult to perceive the reality of the majority of migrantswho live, work and integrate into their communities, actively contributing to them.
“Disinformation must be combated with truthful information,” emphasizes the AECID – which works both to address the causes of migration and to protect the human rights of migrants and refugees – and therefore celebrates this alliance with the IOM and EFE to “improve communication” about migrants, often pushed to leave their homes due to armed conflicts or economic crises.