Archive
EU: Artificial Intelligence Act must put human rights first
115 civil society organisations, including Statewatch, have today published a collective statement calling for EU institutions to prioritise fundamental rights in the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA), which is currently under negotiation. Read More
Föräldrar till barn med Downs syndrom riskerar sparken i Turkiet
Arbetet, 30 November 2021. Read More
EU: Tracking the Pact: Presidency compromise proposals on revamped Eurodac database
The controversial expansion and extension of the Eurodac database is moving ahead, with compromise proposals circulated by the Slovenian Presidency of the Council last week. The legislation would extend Eurodac from a system concerned with supporting the implementation of the EU's asylum rules, to a more general "migration management" database, with a big emphasis on providing data for deportations. Read More
EU: Frontex seeks expertise on “camp management and administration” and “intelligence gathering education”
Frontex is creating an external experts database and has published a list of the roles it is seeking, ranging from a "civil engineer for camp management and administration," to experts in social media surveillance and an "expert in intelligence gathering officers education". Read More
JOINT STATEMENT of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the French Republic on migration issues and police and judicial cooperation in the Channel and the North Sea
The statement published following the meeting on Channel crossings, to which the UK was "disinvited", is entirely concerned with law enforcement and migration control measures, with no mention of humanitarian issues despite the drastic situation in Calais and other sites along the French and Belgian coasts. It is noteworthy that the statement announces the first major deployment of EU resources that aims to prevent departures from - rather than arrivals into - the EU. Read More
EU border agency deported record number of people in first half of 2021
The Guardian, 29 November 2021. Read More
EU: Artificial Intelligence Act: Council aims to simplify use of mass biometric surveillance by law enforcement
The Council of the EU wants to make it possible for private actors to operate mass biometric surveillance systems on behalf of police forces, and intends to extend the purposes for which such systems can be used under the EU's proposed Artificial Intelligence Act. Read More
EU: Deportations at record levels as Frontex foresees an “unprecedented number” of post-pandemic removals
Frontex supported EU member states in removing over 8,300 non-EU nationals to their countries of origin in the first half of 2021, the largest ever number for a six-month period. However, the number of operations with at least one human rights monitor on board decreased by 7%, according to a report recently circulated to EU member states by the border agency. Read More
EU: Tracking the Pact: Consolidated text of revised Asylum Procedure Regulation proposal
The Council has circulated an unofficial consolidated text of the revised proposal for an Asylum Procedure Regulation, which would replace a previous Directive on common procedures for international protection in the EU. Available here, it will aid understanding of the proposal for individuals and organisations working to protect individual rights. Read More
Turkish Army Uses Algorithm to ‘Persecute’ Gulenists: Report
Balkan Insight, 25 November 2021. Read More