News

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.

12 June 2020

Brexit: EU accuses UK of trying to maintain economic benefits amid coronavirus recession

"The European Union accused the United Kingdom Wednesday of seeking to maintain a relationship with the bloc similar to that of an EU member after Brexit. The EU said they found this idea unacceptable."

10 June 2020

EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator mulls 'terrorism in times of corona'

An internal note by the EU's Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, published here in full.

10 June 2020

EU: Ending Gag Lawsuits in Europe - Protecting Democracy and Fundamental Rights

Over 100 organisations have signed a call for the EU to take action to end SLAPPs - Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation - which are being used against civic activists and journalists across the continent.

10 June 2020

Maltese official to be posted in Libya in fight against illegal immigration

The full-text of the new 'Memorandum of Understanding' between Malta and Libya, along with reports from the Times of Malta.

10 June 2020

Croatia: Further Evidence of Systemic Push-Backs at the Border with Bosnia

ECRE give an overview of the ongoing violent situation at the Croatian borders.

10 June 2020

Deaths in custody: I know how George Floyd's family feels - I watched my brother die in police custody

Janet Alder explains the similarities between the case of George Floyd and that of her brother, Christopher Alder, who died in police custody in Hull in 1998.

10 June 2020

Scaled-up surveillance: the EU builds a massive biometric database

Journalist Daniel Trilling explores the EU's interoperability initiative and the construction of the enormous 'Common Identity Repository' database.

10 June 2020

UK: Four UK neo-Nazis jailed for membership of National Action

Four ongoing members of National Action - a neo-Nazi group that was proscribed by the UK government in 2016 - have been sent to prison for their membership of the group.

10 June 2020

UK may have been complicit in torture of 15 more people, court hearing reveals

Reprieve highlight yet more cases of torture potentially involving the UK authorities.

10 June 2020

A Joint Enterprise: How the UK and the US co-operate on drone warfare

Drone Wars UK has published a new report examining UK-USA cooperation in the field of drone warfare.

08 June 2020

Spain/Portugal/Italy: Partial relief: migrant regularisations during the COVID-19 pandemic

The uncertainty that the Covid-19 outbreak has brought to every sphere of life has had a major impact on already vulnerable groups, such as undocumented migrants. People who, for whatever reason, lack official authorisation to stay, live and work in a particular state usually live with constant fear of being detained or receiving an expulsion order after a spontaneous stop by the police. Among the different measures approved by European countries under states of emergency, some have addressed the situation of migrant populations. This article looks at the cases of Portugal, Italy and Spain, which have been praised by the general public for appearing to offer regularisation, or an end to detention. However, the positive tone - probably exacerbated by the need for good news - has set aside details that suggest a less optimistic outcome.

08 June 2020

Viewpoint: Greece-Finland: Ambassador's condemnation of an academic study on the hotspots shows the link between migration policy and authoritarianism

A letter sent by the Greek ambassador in Finland to a group of academics studying the "hotspots" appears to herald governmental persecution of civil society actors beyond what is already the case and intimidation of researchers, by suggesting they should primarily rely on information from Greek authorities and be careful about voicing criticism.

08 June 2020

UK: Revealed: online covid tests refused to those not on credit check database

The UK's proposed "test and trace" system may be inaccessible to those who do not pass credit checks or who do not want them carried out.

08 June 2020

UK: Simeon Francis: Investigation launched after black man dies in police custody in Devon

"A black man has died in British police custody after “becoming unresponsive” in a cell."

08 June 2020

EU-Libya collaboration - pull-backs by remote control

German newspaper Taz is launching a new report looking at how the EU and Libya collaborate to 'pull-back' migrants in the Mediterranean from Libya.

08 June 2020

EU: Another new "centre" launched at Europol

The EU's police agency has launched a 'European Financial and Economic Crime Centre', coming on top of specialised "centres" for cybercrime, terrorism and migrant smuggling.

08 June 2020

Something to declare? Surfacing issues with immunity certificates

The Ada Lovelace Institute highlights six key issues with proposed "immunity certificates" or "immunity passports" that must be taken into consideration by policy-makers.

08 June 2020

Can the EU make AI “trustworthy”? No – but they can make it just

European Digital Rights sets out the main points of their response to the European Commission's consultation on "trustworthy AI".

08 June 2020

UK-Ireland: First post-Brexit request for UK extradition now before the High Court

A Welsh man is facing an extradition hearing in Ireland after the British authorities made their first post-Brexit extradition request to the country.

08 June 2020

Immediate action needed to disembark migrants held on ships off Malta’s coast

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights says keeping more than 400 people detained on private ships outside of Malta's territorial waters is "unsustainable and requires immediate action".

 

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