Archive
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EU and Moroccan delegates discussed migration /// European Legal Gateway Office in India /// EuroParl discussions on externalisation and migration funding /// Council questioned over plans to share biometric data with the US Read More
Migration partnerships
Outsourced border control via the Pact for the Mediterranean /// "Renewed" approach to the Sahel /// Iraq and Bangladesh Action Files Read More
Deportation and readmission
The future of Frontex /// Incentivising self-deportation /// Forced returns to Syria /// Returns to Ukraine Read More
Border management
Council of Europe’s ‘Political Declaration’ on migration /// EU Digital Travel application /// The Future of Europol /// EU-Ukraine Frontex discussions Read More
The EU targets Guinea for visa punishment: a sign of what’s to come
On 15 July 2025, the European Commission proposed punitive visa sanctions against Guinea, marking an escalation in its campaign to force third countries to cooperate on deportations. This move, based on Article 25a of the EU Visa Code, cites Guinea’s persistent “failure to cooperate sufficiently” with the EU’s deportations agenda. It is emblematic of the coercive diplomacy the EU is willing to resort to, even if the results of such coercion are unclear. Read More
Frontex mandate review 2026: violent border practices to be expanded further
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, better known as Frontex, is set for a major overhaul, with it seeming likely Frontex’s mandate will be expanded by the end of 2026. Along with increased border guard staffing, the agency could see its role in border control and deportations extended far beyond European territory. In this analysis, researcher Marloes Streppel breaks down the main themes of the proposed Frontex overhaul, details the EU’s main motivations and priorities and concludes with concerns raised by civil society groups and academics. Read More
The US demands exemptions for military and diplomatic staff in the EU’s digital borders system
The US has demanded the EU give preferential treatment to its diplomatic, military and other personnel, exempting them from mandatory fingerprinting and facial scanning at the borders of the Schengen zone. An internal note from the Council of the EU provides guidance to member states on how to be “flexible”. Read More
UK: More than 120 organisations call out government’s proposals on earned settlement
Alongside over 120 organisations, Statewatch is calling out the UK government’s proposals and the accompanying consultation on earned settlement. The government’s proposals would disproportionately punish refugees and racialised communities, by imposing hierarchical and discriminatory standards for those pursuing settlement. Read More
Joint statement condemning EU law enabling home raids, policing of public services and racial profiling
The EU must withdraw all provisions to expand and normalise immigration raids and surveillance measures under the proposed Deportation (“Return”) Regulation. A statement signed by Statewatch and 87 other organisations warns of the real and immediate threat posed by the proposals which purport to legitimise ICE-style immigration enforcement measures across the EU. Read More
Submission to Home Office consultation on a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies
On 12 January, Statewatch responded to the Home Office’s consultation on developing a new legal framework for governing the use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. Read More