December
Reclaiming migration: a call for justice, dignity, and an anti-racist Europe
To mark International Migrants Day more than 40 organisations, including Statewatch, are calling for "a Europe grounded in justice and equality" and "policies that honour dignity and rights of all."
US access to EU citizens’ biometric data: ministers approve EU negotiating mandate
EU ministers have agreed to launch negotiations on an agreement that would grant US border agencies direct access to personal data stored in EU member state databases, and give EU agencies similar access to US data. The US is demanding access to the databases of all states that are part of its Visa Waiver Programme, for “immigration screening and vetting activities.” This is part of a broader plan to massively increase the amount of sensitive data gathered on travellers.
UK: ‘Radio Nick’: a private spy hired by the police
In October, a court case led to the exposure of a private spy who had been hired by the police to infilitrate multiple campaign groups for almost a decade, Nick Gratwick. A new report by the Undercover Research Group documents Gratwick's activities in the late 1990s and early 2000s in detail. The case highlights the lack of laws and regulations governing private intelligence agents.
UK: Joint briefing on the “do not introduce digital ID cards” parliamentary petition debate
In September, the government announced plans for a new digital ID scheme that would be mandatory for ‘right to work’ checks by 2029. A petition against the proposal accrued nearly three million signatures, making it the fourth largest petition in British history and the second largest non-Brexit petition. It highlights problems with: mission creep; privacy; security risks; accuracy; discrimination and exclusion; and fundamental changes in the relationship between the state and the individual.
Border externalisation: radical expansion of Frontex powers in the works
The latest issue of our bulletin on EU border externalisation policies includes: council discussion documents on upcoming Frontex mandate revision; the IOM presents a dire picture for returnees to Afghanistan; and an internal human rights presentation warns the EU is "not there yet"
Documents: EU plans to radically expand border agency's mandate
Two recent European Council documents reveal internal discussions over the potential expansion of Europe's border agency Frontex. One aim is to make it easier for the agency to operate outside EU borders. The discussions come ahead of the expected formal revision of Frontex’s mandate in 2026 and give a glimpse of what member states and the European Commission have in mind for the agency’s role in the EU’s future deportation machine.
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