Article by Sorcha MacLeod. EJIL:Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law.
July 2, 2020.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen a leap in demand for certain types of private security services from both States and businesses, and exacerbation of existing challenges in the sector. There are two distinct strands to this proliferating reliance on private security. Firstly, there is an upturn in contracts for existing activities in countries where the private sector has long been involved in the provision of security, for example, in migrant detention centres and public transport. Secondly, private security contractors are moving into new public spaces as a direct consequence of COVID-19 by positioning themselves as humanitarian actors and, for example, carrying out public health testing, and tracking and tracing services. All of these developments raise serious human rights concerns.
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