Archive
Policing by design: EU “operationalises” police data access plans
The final report by the EU's High-Level Group on access to data for effective law enforcement has been published, calling on law and policy-makers to "operationalise" its proposals. This could mean reintroducing mass telecoms surveillance and creating backdoors to undermine encryption. Read More
Italy has nullified the right to transparency regarding borders
The State Council has confirmed an “absolute” lack of access concerning acts related to the “management of borders and immigration”. Meanwhile, the government’s procurement worth millions of euros for Libya, Tunisia and Egypt continues. Read More
Deportations: when “assertiveness” and “effectiveness” entail violence and abuse
Increasing the number of deportations from the EU is a longstanding policy goal. In 2025 a new deportation law will likely be proposed, replacing the 2008 Returns Directive. Documents published alongside this bulletin offer some insights into what may be included in that proposal. The implications for individuals facing deportation are likely to be damaging: fewer legal safeguards, more obligations and increased coercion, and new ways to remove people to countries deemed unsafe. Read More
Frontex’s increasing role in reintegration policy and its effects in West Africa
The externalisation of European border controls to Africa has received substantial political and critical attention. The same cannot be said of “reintegration” policies, ostensibly designed to support people deported from the EU. Frontex’s role in both deportation and reintegration is increasing. The consequences of this in The Gambia and Nigeria raise questions over national sovereignty, the rights of and support for deportees, and the instrumentalisation of independent organisations. Read More
Tunisia: No to the criminalisation of solidarity with migrants
Dozens of organisations and individuals, including Statewatch, are demanding the release of individuals detained by Tunisian authorities for their work supporting migrants and refugees. The call comes in response to the recent arrest and detention of Abdallah Said, whose organisation, Les Enfants de la Lune, cares for disabled Tunisian and non-Tunisian children. His arrest is the latest incident in "a troubling trend of criminalizing solidarity in Tunisia, which has intensified since May 2024," says a joint statement. Read More
Border externalisation: documents from the Coordination Group on Migration published
Statewatch is publishing more than a dozen documents from the Coordination Group on Migration, a secretive body in which the European Commission and EU member states coordinate expenditure on external migration control projects. Read More
Deutschland drängt auf EU-weite Verfolgung und Überwachung von Fahrzeugen
Heise, 17 November 2024. Read More
Fondettes: une galerie expose « Calais après la jungle »
La Nouvelle République, 15 November 2024. Read More
France, Germany and the Netherlands push for EU-wide “tracking and bugging of vehicles”
Germany, France and the Netherlands are advocating for a reform of the European Investigation Order (EIO) to simplify cross-border surveillance of vehicles. A joint non-paper sent to other EU member states aims to amend the 2014 law to enhance cross-border surveillance cooperation. The reform would allow police to continue using GPS trackers and bugging devices on vehicles when they travel into other EU member states, without requiring additional legal approval in each country. Read More
Migration policy priorities of the next European Commission: a jargon-free translation
This week, the proposed new European Commissioners are being interviewed by the European Parliament. Four of the 26 “mission letters” sent to the nominees by Ursula von der Leyen set out responsibilities with regard to migration, asylum and border policy. Couched in typical EU jargon, the texts hide a brutal and violent reality. Aside from the implementation of the Pact on Asylum and Migration, key topics in the coming months and years will include a new deportation law; attempts to set up deportation camps (“return hubs”) in non-EU states; new “partnerships” with non-EU states to try to control migration; and increased police powers. Read More