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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 our RSS feed to get instant alerts.

26 July 2019

We Tested Europe’s New Lie Detector for Travelers — and Immediately Triggered a False Positive

"They call it the Silent Talker. It is a virtual policeman designed to strengthen Europe’s borders, subjecting travelers to a lie detector test before they are allowed to pass through customs.""

26 July 2019

GREECE: Refugees wanted to be heard, so they started the Migratory Birds newspaper

"Mahdia Hosseini, 28, and Fatima Sedaghat, 16, are two young women from the Network for Children’s Rights youth centre in Kolonos, a working class district of Athens. The centre serves the needs of young refugees, migrants as well as low-income Greek people from morning until night."

25 July 2019

EU: Frontex - New Cooperation Plan signed with EASO

"The Plan includes a commitment from both agencies to ensure consistency in the set-up and implementation of Migration Management Support Teams by setting up a working group to include Europol, as well as to provide capacity building to third countries and cooperate in the second phase of the Instrument of Pre-Accession II project ""Regional Support to Protection-Sensitive Migration Management in the Western Balkans and Turkey".

25 July 2019

European Commission: Commission takes Hungary to Court for criminalising activities in support of asylum seekers and opens new infringement for non-provision of food in transit zones

"Today, the European Commission decided to refer Hungary to the Court of Justice of the EU concerning legislation that criminalises activities in support of asylum applications and further restricts the right to request asylum."

25 July 2019

EU Indirectly Confirms UK Is Taking “Practical Steps” After Illegal Copying of SIS Data

"The European Commissioner for Security Julian King, during a talk to journalists on Wednesday, indirectly confirmed, not only that the United Kingdom did make illegal copies of classified information from the database of the Schengen Information System (SIS), but he also said that the UK is already taking “practical steps” to correct its mistake."

25 July 2019

EU takes Hungary to court over ‘Stop Soros’ migrant law

"The European Union on Thursday (25 July) took Hungary to the EU’s highest court over controversial legislation against assisting migrants, known as the “Stop Soros” laws."

25 July 2019

Up to 150 feared dead as boats capsize off Libya - About 137 people were rescued and returned to Libya, according to coastguard

"Up to 150 people attempting the perilous sea crossing from Libya to Europe are missing and feared drowned after two migrant boats capsized on Thursday."

25 July 2019

Italy receives more asylum seekers from Germany than from Libya - Why Rome is the winner of the EU’s Dublin regulation

"in reality, in part because of the government’s hard-line approach, the number of people arriving by sea has plummeted, from over 180,000 at its peak in 2016 to a little over 3,000 so far this year."

24 July 2019

Council of the European Union: Moving forward the automation of information exchange

"The intention is to put the topic into perspective in relation to an ever-growing and complex information exchange landscape, which has seen a political shift towards increased automation, as manifested in recent legislation."

24 July 2019

Italy's government wins confidence vote on decree targeting migrant rescue ships

"Italy's government wins confidence vote on decree targeting migrant rescue ship:

24 July 2019

Libya: Europe-bound migrants sent to bombed detention centre

"Coastguard spokesperson says 38 migrants were sent to the Tajoura detention centre that was bombed last month."

24 July 2019

European Commission: Nineteenth Progress Report towards an effective and genuine Security Union

Close cooperation between EU Agencies, all Member States and Schengen associated countries will be paramount in order to achieve the ambitious objective of achieving full interoperability of EU information systems for security, border and migration management by 2020.(...)"

24 July 2019

TURKEY: EU Commission reacts to Cavusoglu comments on migration deal

"The European Commission on Wednesday reacted to comments by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu who earlier this week suggested that Ankara will cancel a migrant readmission agreement with the European Union should the bloc fail to deliver on its promise of visa-free travel for Turkish citizens."

24 July 2019

European Commission: General Data Protection Regulation shows results, but work needs to continue

"European Commission: (Press release) General Data Protection Regulation shows results, but work needs to continue"

24 July 2019

European Union plans borderless query of facial images

"In the Prüm Treaty, the police search for biometric data among EU Member States is significantly simplified. Under Austria’s leadership, the extension is now being examined for facial recognition. A corresponding Council decision could already be taken next year."

 

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