Digital Collaboration in Refugee Management: Challenges and Opportunities for Non-Ratifying Countries in the Digital Era - The Case of Indonesia

Abstract

The management of refugees in Indonesia, as a non-ratifying state to the 1951 Refugee Convention, poses considerable challenges in developing effective collaborative frameworks for refugee protection. Although Indonesia is not bound by international treaty obligations, it functions as a critical transit country for over 12,700 forcibly displaced individuals. The digital transformation era offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance collaborative refugee management through innovative technological solutions that bridge coordination gaps between government agencies, international organizations, and civil society actors. This study examines the challenges and opportunities of implementing digital collaborative frameworks in Indonesia's unique non-ratifying context, focusing on inter-agency coordination mechanisms and technological infrastructure requirements. Through a qualitative analysis of the perspectives of various stakeholders, this research identifies critical gaps in digital infrastructure, technical capacity, and institutional coordination that limit the effectiveness of collaborative efforts. The findings indicate that while digital technologies hold considerable promise for enhancing coordination efficiency and service delivery, their implementation is encumbered by significant barriers, including technological disparities, data privacy concerns, and institutional resistance to collaborative innovation. The present study makes a significant contribution to the extant literature on refugee management in non-ratifying states by providing empirical analysis of the impacts of digital transformation on humanitarian collaboration. The policy recommendations put forth include the development of national digital refugee management frameworks, the establishment of interoperable technology infrastructure, and the creation of capacity-building initiatives. These initiatives are designed to address technological disparities among stakeholders while ensuring refugee agency and meaningful participation in digital governance processes.