Netherlands: Police and refugee agency accused of breaching asylum seekers’ privacy

Topic
Country/Region

Dutch authorities have been accused of breaking the law by sharing refugees' personal data without their consent in the name of detecting "offences such as visa fraud, human trafficking and terrorism."

Support our work: become a Friend of Statewatch from as little as £1/€1 per month.

"Police and the organisation responsible for housing asylum seekers have been accused of breaching refugees’ privacy by sharing personal information about refugees without their consent.

COA, which co-ordinates the Netherlands’ asylum compounds, passed on details of residents who were involved in incidents on site, including their date of birth, ethnicity and religion.

The information was shared in a liaison system set up with police to help detect offences such as visa fraud, human trafficking and terrorism. But legal experts said the system went beyond the boundaries of the law, which only allows the COA to disclose asylum seekers’ personal details if they are suspected of committing a criminal offence."

Full story: Police and refugee agency accused of breaching asylum seekers’ privacy (Dutch News, link)

Our work is only possible with your support.
Become a Friend of Statewatch from as little as £1/€1 per month.

 

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

Report error