July

Launched in 1999 and updated regularly, Statewatch News includes our own reporting and writing as well as articles, announcements, documents and analyses from elsewhere on civil liberties, EU policies and state practices. You can receive updates in your inbox by signing up to our mailing list, or use an RSS feed to get instant alerts.

09 July 2020

Black Lives Matter – whatever their nationality

Migration scholar Bridget Anderson examines how and why politicians can declare that 'Black Lives Matter' whilst ignoring how racism and contemporary migration policies intersect.

08 July 2020

In-depth investigations into policing and cross-border DNA exchange in the EU

The EXCHANGE project, run by the University of Minho in Portugal, has been investigating the cross-border transfer of DNA through the EU's Prüm system and has produced a number of articles of interest.

07 July 2020

German government split over police racial profiling study

German interior minister Horst Seehofer wants to press pause on a planned study on racial profiling by the country's police forces, but the justice minister, Christine Lambrecht, has said it is "right and important" that the study take place.

06 July 2020

State of emergency declared on Mediterranean rescue ship

Following six suicide attempts by rescued persons, the crew of the Ocean Viking ship have declared a state of emergency on board. Repeated requests to Italy and Malta to provide a port for disembarkation have either been refused or gone unanswered.

06 July 2020

Denmark may return Syria refugees as Damascus area deemed ‘safe’

According to press reports, the Danish government is claiming that Damascus is 'safe' and is now undertaking a review of the residence permits of some 900 Syrian refugees from the city.

06 July 2020

EU: Travel data to be used for public health purposes?

The German Council Presidency has asked member states whether they are using passenger data collected by airline companies to track people infected with COVID-19, with an eye to expanding the scope of EU legislation on the issue. Currently EU rules are limited to using passenger data for "preventing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting terrorist offences and serious crime."

04 July 2020

UK: Covid gave the Government extra powers, but our human rights are at stake if they don’t let them go

Martha Spurrier, Director of Liberty, calls for the repeal of the UK's draconian Coronavirus Act, 100 days after it passed into law.

03 July 2020

Greece’s new asylum system designed to deport, not protect

Press release from Oxfam and the Greek Council for Refugees.

02 July 2020

EU: Study on the implementation of the European Arrest Warrant

A study on the implementation of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) commissioned by the European Parliament's civil liberties commitee (LIBE) concludes that it "has simplified and sped up handover procedures, including for some high-profile cases of serious crime and terrorism," but that there are ongoing challenges "concerning judicial independence, the nature of mutual recognition and its relationship with international and EU law and values, constitutional principles and additional harmonisation measures."

01 July 2020

Cyprus: Call for action following conviction of human rights organisation for “defamation” and “harmful forgery”

KISA, a human rights organisation based in Cyprus, was recently convicted by the Supreme Court of “defamation” and “harmful forgery” over a 2010 document calling on the government to rescind the appointment of Christos Clerides and Xenis Xenofontos to the Management Board of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).

01 July 2020

UK: How video hearings broke justice and stripped people of their rights

Wired reports on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the justice system, where the vast majority of hearings in magistrates' courts are now being conducted by videolink.

01 July 2020

Hungary's restrictions on civil society groups are "discriminatory and unjustified", Court of Justice rules

The Court of Justice of the EU has ruled that restrictions imposed by Hungary on civil society organisations - which require registration, declaration and publication for certain categories of groups receiving funds from abroad - are "discriminatory and unjustified", on the grounds that they restrict the free movement of capital and unjustifably impunge upon the fundamental rights to privacy, data protection and freedom of association.

 

Spotted an error? If you've spotted a problem with this page, just click once to let us know.

Report error