Transnational Repression
Recent years have seen a growth in authoritarian states using connectivity in communications and the movement of people to expand their apparatus of repression, targeting critics, journalists, minority groups, and everyday people residing outside their countries of origin. Transnational repression, or the methods and means by which states target their nationals abroad, is constantly growing in both scale and complexity. While the governments of liberal democracies have long been aware of transnational repression, their responses have been insufficient, and understanding among policymakers and the public remains limited. The New Lines Institute’s Transnational Repression Portfolio seeks to better inform policymakers about transnational repression and equip them with concrete policy recommendations for combating it.
A Growing Threat to Sovereignty
Authoritarian states are exploiting the openness of liberal democracies to surveil, intimidate, and silence dissidents and minority communities beyond their borders. These operations range from digital surveillance and harassment campaigns to physical threats and even assassination. The scale and sophistication of these efforts continue to expand, yet responses from targeted democracies have not kept pace. Understanding the full scope of transnational repression is the first step toward developing effective countermeasures.
Research and Policy Solutions
Our Working Group of experts and scholars produces relevant and in depth research highlighting key areas of focus in the fight against transnational repression. The TNR workstream provides actionable policy recommendations for how liberal democracies can better defend national sovereignty against bad actors seeking to perpetrate transnational repression within their borders, offering policymakers the tools they need to protect vulnerable communities and uphold the rule of law.
Projects
Transnational Repression Working Group
All articles
Workstream Team
Charles Walsh
Program Head and Analyst, Transnational Repression
Elise Anderson
Non-Resident Senior Fellow