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 March 2020

Brussels considers pan-EU police searches of ID photos

"Ready for your closeup? Your face could soon be included in police databases searchable by law enforcement across the European Union.

11 March 2020

Frontex border operation in Greece 'lacks legal basis' after Greece suspends asylum law

"Experts have questioned the legality of EU border agency Frontex sending officers to the Greek-Turkish border."

11 March 2020

Are You Syrious? Daily Digest 06/03/20 — MEP Joins Far-Right Vigilantes in Greece

A Golden Dawn MEP has been seen with far-right vigilante groups operating on the Greek-Turkish border.

11 March 2020

Greek-Turkish border: MEPs reject Turkey’s pressure, demand common asylum rules

"The EU must help Greece manage its border with Turkey, while ensuring the right to asylum for those who need it, several MEPs said on Tuesday."

11 March 2020

Bulgaria is not changing its push-back policy at its border to Turkey

Will Frontex's presence at the Bulgarian-Turkish border help stop the Bulgarian authorities' practice of illegal push-backs?

11 March 2020

HRW denounces Greece over migrants held on warship

Greece must find adequate accommodation for the 450 people detained on a navy ship, says Human Rights Watch.

11 March 2020

UK: Police forces not taking threat of far-right officers seriously, says report

The body responsible for inspecting the activities and performance of UK police forces has warned that forces must take the risk of far-right officers within their ranks seriously.

11 March 2020

Secret documents: European domestic intelligence services networking worldwide

An exposé in the Swiss press reveals some of the worldwide activities of the secret 'Club de Berne'.

11 March 2020

Greece: Yaros, the forgotten prison island

A former prison for enemies of the Greek dictatorship on the island of Yaros may be turned into a nature conservation area, but there are a number of legal issues standing in the way.

11 March 2020

Fire breaks out at refugee centre on Greek island of Lesbos

No one was injured in the second recent fire on a Greek island camp, according to reports.

11 March 2020

Coronavirus tests Europe’s resolve on privacy

Privacy concerns are arising across Europe as government seek to harness personal data to try to stem the spread of coronavirus.

11 March 2020

Bulgaria Floods Evros River to Prevent Migrants Storming Greek Borders

A dam in Bulgaria has been opened at the request of the Greek government to try to prevent people crossing the Evros river from the Turkish side.

11 March 2020

Frontex launches "game-changing" recruitment drive for standing corps of border guards

On 4 January 2020 the Management Board of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) adopted a decision on the profiles of the staff required for the new “standing corps”, which is ultimately supposed to be staffed by 10,000 officials. The decision ushers in a new wave of recruitment for the agency. Applicants will be put through six months of training before deployment, after rigorous medical testing.

10 March 2020

Von der Leyen: 'Right to seek asylum' at Greek border

The European Commission president has said the Greek authorities must ensure the right to seek asylum.

10 March 2020

Amid migrant crisis, Greece-Turkey conflict plays out on social media

"Greeks and Turks are waging a proxy war on social media with photos, video and commentary purporting to show the other side behaving badly in a migrant crisis that has seriously strained already tense relations between Athens and Ankara."

 

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