2021
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.
“The potential for abuse is too great”: Global call to ban biometric surveillance in public spaces
Statewatch is one of almost 180 organizations from across the globe calling for a ban on uses of facial and other remote biometric recognition technologies that enable mass and discriminatory targeted surveillance.
EU: Growing online censorship of presumed "violent extremism" of all ideological varieties
EU police agency Europol recently undertook its first ever "Referral Action Day against right-wing terrorist online propaganda," in which officers trawled the internet to file complaints about material that may contravene platforms' terms of service.
EU: Tracking the Pact: Council documents on coordination of externalisation, "partnerships" and Afghanistan
Three Council documents on the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum's externalisation aspects, covering: how to establish better EU-national coordination on externalisation of migration control; how to implement comprehensive "partnerships" on migration with priority countries; and a more detailed overview on relations on migration with Afghanistan.
Arriving soon: global air travel surveillance and passenger profiling with no democratic control
The ICAO, Interpol and various UN bodies are continuing their efforts to aid the establishment of systems for the surveillance of air travel and the automated profiling of passengers.
A tribute to Thomas Mathiesen
Thomas Mathiesen, the renowned sociologist, passed away on 29 May 2021. Tony Bunyan, Statewatch Director Emeritus, pays tribute to his life and work.
ECHR: Bulk communications data interception by UK and Swedish spy agencies violated right to privacy
An eight-year legal challenge initiated following the Snowden revelations in 2013 ended yesterday, when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the surveillance regime governing "bulk interception" of communications data by British spy agency GCHQ violated the right to privacy.
EU: Legal action against Frontex's operations in Greece initiated at the European Court of Justice
Human rights organisation Front-Lex has submitted the first ever action against Frontex to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), calling on it to take measures to ensure that Frontex meets its human rights obligations under international and EU law.
EU: Tracking the Pact: Council 'state of play' report on legal and policy initiatives
A documented circulated in the Council of the EU at the beginning of this week sets out the 'state of play' regarding the legal and policy initiatives launched as part of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. A number of legal proposals appear to be the subject of significant disagreement, holding up the adoption of other, less contentious proposals which form part of the "package".
Italy: Death in detention centre, hunger strike and demonstration in response
Baldi Moussa, a young 23-year-old from Guinea, was found dead by hanging while in "solitary confinement" in his cell in the CPR [Centri di Permanenza per il Rimpatrio] in Via Brunelleschi in Turin.
EU: More powers for Europol: latest version of the Council's text
Discussions are underway to grant more powers to EU policing agency Europol, which would vastly expand the amount of data the agency could process, and the ways in which that data could be processed. Statewatch is publishing the latest version of the Council's preferred version of the text, drawn up following secret discussions between member state delegations in the Law Enforcement Working Party.
Council of the EU: LIMITE documents on human rights, internal security, visas and asylum, EU-Interpol agreement, travel surveillance and "bio-secure borders"
A host of important LIMITE documents from the Council of the EU: Accession to the European Convention on Human Rights; draft conclusions on the impact of COVID-19 on internal security; proposals on the governance of Europol's 'Innovation Hub' for internal security technologies; a discusssion paper on visas and asylum applications; draft Council Decision authorising negotiations on an agreement between the EU and Interpol; draft conclusions on the surveillance of travel via Passenger Name Record (PNR) data; and the extension of PNR to maritime transport.
Greek government rebuffs Council of Europe's call to halt pushbacks and investigate abuse
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights wrote to the Greek authorities earlier this month demanding that they "put an end to pushback operations at both the land and sea borders with Turkey, and to ensure that independent and effective investigations are carried out into all allegations of pushbacks and of ill-treatment by members of security forces in the context of such operations."
EU: Tracking the Pact: Latest Council recitals for the proposed Screening Regulation
Statewatch is publishing the latest version of the recitals of the proposed Screening Regulation, which will introduce mandatory detention at the EU's borders. The document was produced by the Portuguese Presidency for a discussion of the Council's JHA Counsellors (Frontiers) working group on 19 May.
EU: Tracking the Pact: Lawyers denounce "deadly" screening proposals
The French Bar Association has denounced EU proposals for accelerated asylum screening procedures at the borders as "deadly", and the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe has also expressed serious concerns over the plans.
UK: Bad news in the Queen's Speech
The Queen's Speech, which sets out the government's programme for the coming year, was read to the House of Commons earlier this month. It contains a raft of measures that pose a threat to civil liberties.
EU: Council sets the scene to weaken proposed safeguards on artificial intelligence and internal security
National delegations in the Council of the EU are starting to discuss how proposed new legislation governing artificial intelligence should be interpreted from "an internal security perspective," with the Portuguese Presidency highlighting that "limitations and safeguards should be in balance with the possibilities of law enforcement to use and develop AI systems in the future, in line with the rest of the society."
Commission, French government hope Morocco will return to being Europe's border guard
Both the European Commission and the French government have expressed hopes that the Moroccan government will once again take up its role as Europe's border guard and prevent departures to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, where thousands of people have arrived in the last few days.
Spain: A human rights based approach must be taken in Ceuta, say Spanish members of Migreurop
Andalucía Acoge, APDHA, CEAR, Elín, Iridia, Red Acoge and the SOS Racismo Federation demand a human-rights based outlook in Ceuta
EU: Accountability measures for Frontex: critical experts weigh in
Two new papers, from the Meijers Committee and the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), set out ways to improve the accountability and transparency of EU border agency Frontex.
EU: E-Evidence: Media and journalists, civil society groups, professional organisations and technology companies demand fundamental rights protections
Forthcoming legislation on "e-evidence" would ease the cross-border gathering and transfer of data for use in criminal proceedings. Member states and MEPs must include fundamental rights protections in the rules , says a letter published today and signed by media and journalists' organisations, civil society groups, professional organisations and technology companies.
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