August

Council of the European Union: Manual on Law Enforcement Information Exchange (LIMITE doc no , 6727-ADD-2, pdf): Detailed chart - 14 pages:

"The Manual on Law Enforcement Information Exchange provides detailed information about crossborder information exchange and cooperation. Member States’ law enforcement officers are invited to use it for training purposes or for instant consultation. The purpose of this Practical Advisor is to increase the efficiency in the use of the instruments available.

The Practical Advisor provides a comparison of requirements for exchange of information via different channels (Interpol/ Europol/ SIRENE/ Liaison Officers/ PCCC), as well as other practical information and advices related to instruments used within the international law enforcement cooperation which could be beneficial not only for the SPOC officers, but also for other national law enforcement authorities."

Urgent alert – solidarity with the victims of far-right violence in Saxony (IRR News, link);

"German anti-fascists are asking for support and international protest around events in Chemnitz.

On 27/28 August, in scenes reminiscent of the 1991 pogroms in Rostock and Hoyerswerda, police in the east German state of Saxony all but lost control of the streets to the far Right in the former industrial city of Chemnitz, once a Communist stronghold. Far-right protests against immigrants and crime quickly turned into anti-foreigner riots, with many describing the current situation in Chemnitz, where the electoral far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) is strong, as a pre-pogrom situation."

EU: Council Presidency: Informal Ministers meeting on defence: Austrian non-paper: Synergies and military support for civil institutions (Council Presidency, link):

"The Austrian non-paper sets out ideas for temporary military support of civil authorities working in external border protection. This support should be provided to handle peak periods and exceptional situations. It should be deployed as an intermediary solution. The aim is to reinforce the synergies of civil-military cooperation.(...)

Military forces are not generally foreseen to act as “first responders” in border protection situations. Instead, their main task should be to support the (civil) forces foreseen for this specific purpose by the individual member states.

Military tasks for the support of civil authorities

Executive tasks

- reaction forces for crowd and riot control
- creation of a secure environment
- personal searches
- surveillance and reconnaissance of the environment." (emphasis added)

Italy's call for France and Spain to open ports to migrants is rejected (Guardian, link):

"EU high representative refuses to give backing despite threat to pull plug on rescue mission.

A call by Italy for France and Spain to offer up their ports for the disembarkation of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean has failed to garner the backing of EU member states, despite Rome’s threat to pull the plug on the EU’s Operation Sophia rescue mission.

Hijacking a meeting of defence ministers in Vienna, the Italian representative, Elisabetta Trenta, called the ports where rescue ships dock to be rotated to lift the burden on her country."

Italy to push EU for reform of ‘Operation Sophia’ (euractiv, link):

"Rome will today (30 August) ask the European Union to rotate the ports where migrants rescued at sea disembark, Defence Minister Elisabetta Trenta said, with France and Spain expected to top the list."

Orbán calls for deportation of migrants, calls Salvini his ‘hero’ (Budapest Business Journal, link):

"At a press conference held after their meeting, Orbán said Salvini has taken on the “historic mission” to stop migration at sea, an endeavor he said no other country has undertaken. Europe’s security depends on Salvini’s success, he added, and therefore the Italian politician cannot back down.

“This courage inspires respect in us,” Orbán said, adding that Hungary will provide every assistance to Italy’s border protection efforts.

Orbán proposed that those who have come to Europe must be taken back to where they came from. Brussels takes the view that this is not possible, but then again - he observed - they said the same about the protection of borders.

Spain defends hard line on North African border immigration (euractiv, link):

"Spain will not tolerate violent attempts to enter the country, the government said on Wednesday (August 29), in response to criticism of its swift return of 116 illegal migrants to Morocco after they stormed the fence bordering one of its North African enclaves."

Facebook Fueled Anti-Refugee Attacks in Germany, New Research Suggests (NYT, link):

"Karsten Müller and Carlo Schwarz, researchers at the University of Warwick, scrutinized every anti-refugee attack in Germany, 3,335 in all, over a two-year span. In each, they analyzed the local community by any variable that seemed relevant. Wealth. Demographics. Support for far-right politics. Newspaper sales. Number of refugees. History of hate crime. Number of protests.

One thing stuck out. Towns where Facebook use was higher than average, like Altena, reliably experienced more attacks on refugees. That held true in virtually any sort of community — big city or small town; affluent or struggling; liberal haven or far-right stronghold — suggesting that the link applies universally."

Activists held in Greece for illegally aiding migrants (euractiv, link):

"Police in Greece said on Tuesday (28 August) they had arrested three members of a Greek NGO on suspicion of helping migrants illegally enter the country.

The members of Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI) were detained on the Greek island of Lesbos, where thousands of migrants are housed in squalid conditions in cramped camps.

“The activities of an organised criminal network that systematically facilitated the illegal entry of foreigners were fully exposed,” a police statement said.

Members of the group were in contact with migrants on social media groups and “actively assisted” their illegal entry into Greece from 2015 onwards, according to the statement.

To keep tabs on migrant flows, the accused also illegally monitored Greek coastguard and EU border agency Frontex radio traffic, authorities said. Any information gathered was not shared with Greek authorities, the police said.

Overall, six Greeks and 24 foreign nationals were implicated in the case, they added."

Netherlands: One in five vulnerable Syrian refugees are rejected by NL because of their views (dutchnews.nl, link):

"Some of the most vulnerable refugees living in camps in Turkey have been rejected by the Netherlands because they have extremist sympathies or are too conservative, the Volkskrant reported on Wednesday. The Netherlands has agreed to take its ‘fair share’ of refugees under a special scheme worked out with Turkey, but around 20% don’t get final approval, the paper said."

Poland threatens to ignore rulings of EU’s top court (euractiv, link):

"The European Court of Justice (CJEU) is investigating if the recently adopted legislation on the retirement age of Polish Supreme Court judges complies with EU law, but a top Polish official has hinted that the country might ignore future ECJ rulings in this matter."

See also: Council of the European Union: Rule of Law in Poland / Article 7(1) TEU Reasoned Proposal - Report of the hearing held by the Council on 26 June 2018 (LIMITE doc no:10906-18. 60 pages, pdf): The formal report of the hearing of Poland held on 26 June 2018 in accordance with Article 7(1) TEU.

Salvini and Orbán launch anti-immigration manifesto ahead of EU elections (euractiv, link):

"Hungary’s illiberal Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Italy’s hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini launched Tuesday (28 August) an anti-migration manifesto aiming at next year’s European parliament elections, targeting a common enemy."

Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe (28.8.18)

Moria, Lesvos, Greece: Children 'attempting suicide' at Greek refugee camp (BBC News, link):

"At Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, there is deadly violence, overcrowding, appalling sanitary conditions and now a charity says children as young as 10 are attempting suicide. The Victoria Derbyshire programme has been given rare access inside.

"We are always ready to escape, 24 hours a day we have our children ready," says Sara Khan, originally from Afghanistan. (...)

The place smells of raw sewage, and there are around 70 people per toilet, according to medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).(...)

Back at the MSF tent, Luca Fontana, who has worked all over the world in conflict zones, says the camp is the worst place he has seen in his life.

He worked during the Ebola outbreaks in West Africa but says, "I've never seen the level of suffering we are witnessing here every day".

"Even those affected by Ebola still have the hope to survive or they have the support of their family, their society, their village, their relatives.

"Here, the hope is taken away by the system.""

Austria rejects Afghan’s asylum request over appearance (New Europe, link):

"Austria rejected the asylum application of an 18-year-old Afghan gay man as authorities believe he did not “act” or “dress” like a homosexual, the Falter weekly newspaper reports.

Homosexuality is illegal in Afghanistan and is punishable by death. At the very least, homosexuals face social exclusion."

Privacy International: "We recently released a report exposing how states and multilateral institutions are financing, training, and equipping foreign security agencies. We have now developed an Open Source Guide to researching surveillance transfers so that we can uncover more information on this issue." (link)

German far-right protesters clash with leftists after Chemnitz stabbing (euractiv, link):

"Far-right demonstrators clashed with leftist protesters in the eastern German city of Chemnitz on Monday (27 August) after an Iraqi and a Syrian were arrested over a fatal stabbing that had triggered violent demonstrations."

Experts: ‘Germany is massively dependent on immigration’ (euractiv, link):

"The German government has agreed on the cornerstones of the new Immigration Act. But experts, business representatives and trade unions see still significant room for improvement. EURACTIV Germany’s media partner “Der Tagesspiegel” reports."

EU: European External Action Service: Strategic Review on EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia, EUBAM Libya & EU Liaison and Planning Cell

The European External Action Service has produced a: Strategic Review on EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia, EUBAM Libya & EU Liaison and Planning Cell (LIMITE doc no: 11471-18, 98 pages, pdf) for discussion in the Political and Security Committee:

"the existing mandates of EUNAVFOR Med Op Sophia (Op Sophia) and EUBAM Libya will expire on 31 December 2018. A decision on their mandates and on the future of the EU Liaison and Planning Cell (EULPC) needs to be taken in light of the findings of this review and the broader political and security situation in Libya, the Central Mediterranean and the surrounding region."

ITALY: ‘EU is filth’, Salvini lashes out as tensions between Rome and Brussels grow (euractiv, link):

"Although the 150 migrants stranded on the Diciotti rescue ship were able to disembark on Sunday (26 August), Italy’s firebrand Interior Minister Matteo Salvini engaged in another vilification of the EU, calling it “filth” and reiterating threats to stop EU funding.

“Europe has demonstrated once again to be unprecedented filth that doesn’t deserve our money,” the leader of the far-right Lega told supporters on Sunday in the small town of Pinzolo in the northern Italian Alps."

EU: Biometrics in identity cards: the Member States want to fingerprint children

Proposals to make fingerprinting of all identity card holders in the EU obligatory were published by the European Commission in April as part of proposal on "strengthening the security of identity cards and residence documents". Early discussions in the Council foresee not only maintaining the mandatory fingerprinting requirement, but making it possible to extend it to children.

USA: What does the US government know about you? (Privacy.net, link):

"How much does the US government know about you? It’s not a question easily answered. The US government operates the largest and most advanced spying, surveillance, and data collection programs on the planet. It’s made up of multiple law enforcement and intelligence agencies, some of which operate in secret. The federal government, of course, consists more than two dozen major agencies that perform regular record keeping for operational purposes, such as the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Social Security Administration."

EU: Council of the European Union: More legislative transparency providing it does not stop the "space to think" in secret

The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union has produced a Note on: Legislative transparency (in a non-public LIMITE document: 11099-18, pdf)

Tony Bunyan, Statewatch Director, comments:

"These proposals will lead to a bit more openness but will not meet the Lisbon Treaty commitments which came into force nearly ten years ago. The Treaty 's premise is that all documents concerned with legislative measures should be made public as they are produced.

Until the "space to think" in secret is abolished we will never get full access to all the documents which are part of the legislative paper trail."

See Statewatch's Observatory on FOI in the EU which monitors all developments since 1993.

Germany: Dresden police apologize for holding ZDF reporters (DW, link):

"Dresden's police chief has apologized for detaining a camera team from public broadcaster ZDF. The head of the German Journalists' Union said politicians cannot stand on the sidelines on the issue of press freedom (...)

The chief of police in the eastern German city of Dresden has apologized for detaining a camera team from German public broadcaster ZDF while filming at a far-right PEDIGA protest.".

EU commission rejects Italy budget threat on migrants (euobserver, link):

"The European Commission said on Friday (24 August) it would not bow to threats by the Italian government after deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio said Italy would withhold EU funds if other countries did not take migrants from a coast guard ship in Sicily. "

Matteo Salvini formally investigated over migrant ship standoff (The Observer, link): "Italian deputy PM allows migrants on the Ubaldo Diciotti to disembark, after he was placed under investigation over their detention."

Greece: Fresh calls for migrants to be moved from Aegean islands (ekathimerini.com, link):

"Authorities on the eastern Aegean islands have renewed calls on the central government to relocate hundreds of migrants to the mainland as their population on Lesvos, Chios and Samos has risen to 16,334 from 10,349 this time last year. "

Are You Syrious (23.8.18, link):

FEATURE

"In protesting the “death of human rights in Malta” crew members of MV Lifeline and Sea-Watch 3 carried a coffin from Castille Square to the court building in Valletta on Thursday. The coffin was draped in a EU flag. Their Captain Claus-Peter Reisch has charges against him for improper ship registration. It is registered as a pleasure craft in the Netherlands and therefore, the claim is made, it cannot serve on a rescue mission " (...)

LIBYA

"The 25 people returned by the Libyan Coast Guard (LCG) on Wednesday were immediately detained, reports IOM. Among the 25 were a mother and her child.

More testimonies are coming out about the darkness of Libyan detention centers. A 17 year old states he did not see any light for seven months. An MSF psychologist reports that one of the children who disembarked from the Diciotti ship in Catania is having sight problems after living in darkness for a whole year.

The EU is funding the LCG to literally keep people in the dark."

EU: Schengen searches to be extended (link)

"Persons listed in the Schengen Information System may, inter alia, be observed or searched by the police. The numbers of these Article 36 alerts are increasing rapidly and are now being explained for the first time in detail. A new category "inquiry check“ is planned in the new regulation for the police database."

Italy to suspend EU funding unless others take in migrants (euractiv, link):

"The European Commission has called a meeting today (25 August) after Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said his party would vote to suspend funding to the EU unless other member states agreed to take in migrants being held on a coastguard ship in Sicily.

Three days after Italy’s Diciotti coastguard vessel docked in Catania, 150 adult migrants remained on deck. After seeing hundreds of thousands of sea arrivals in recent years, Italy wants other EU countries to accept them.(...)

“If tomorrow nothing comes out of a European Commission meeting on redistributing migrants from the Diciotti ship, the 5-Star and I will not be willing to give €20 billion each year to the EU,” Di Maio said in a video posted on Facebook."

Migrants who stormed Morocco-Spain border sent back (euractiv, link):

"Spain on Thursday (23 August) sent back to Morocco 116 migrants who had forced their way into the Spanish territory of Ceuta, in a mass expulsion condemned by human rights activists.

“The 116 sub-Saharan migrants who entered Spain via the Ceuta border illegally yesterday (Wednesday) have been sent back to Morocco,” the Ceuta prefecture said in a statement."

Hungary: Asylum Seekers Denied Food - Cease Inhumane Treatment, Resume Distribution Immediately (HRW, link):

" Hungarian authorities have stopped food distribution since early August 2018 to some rejected asylum seekers held in transit zones on the Hungarian-Serbian border, Human Rights Watch said today. They should immediately ensure that all asylum seekers in custody are provided sufficient and appropriate food in line with the government’s legal obligations."

Lithuania says will not appeal European court ruling over CIA torture jail (euractiv, link):

"Lithuania on Wednesday (22 August) said it would not appeal a European court ruling that the Baltic state had been complicit in a clandestine CIA programme by holding terror suspects at a secret detention site on its territory.

“We decided it would make no sense to appeal to the Great Chamber because there are no legal criteria for that,” government official Karolina Bubnyte Sirmene told AFP.(...)

The European Court of Human Rights ruled in May that Lithuania hosted a secret prison from February 2005 to March 2006, when CIA operatives held Abu Zubaydah, considered a top Palestinian operative for Al-Qaeda.

The EU and NATO state was ordered to pay €100,000 in damages to Zubaydah for enabling US authorities to subject him to “inhuman treatment”.

Poland’s deportation of human rights activist: The back story (euractiv, link):

"The expulsion from the Schengen zone of Lyudmyla Kozlovska, a Ukrainian human rights activist, was due to serious doubts regarding funding of her organisation, Poland’s Internal Security Agency said on Monday (20 August).

The president of the Open Dialog Foundation (ODF) was apprehended at Brussels airport on 13 August and told by security staff that she was on a list of people banned from entering the Schengen zone."

Lesvos, Greece: The numbers of refugees on the island rose to 10,192 according to official figures on 22 August

UK: Misconduct Charges Against Hillsborough Police Chief Sir Norman Bettison Dropped (Huffpost, link)

EU: Schengen and AFIS

The Council of the European's Working Party for Schengen Matters is considering: Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) component of the Schengen Information System (SIS) - Procedure for matches on fingerprints (LIMITE doc no: 11527-18, pdf)

A call for an international right of hospitality on World Humanitarian Day by Etienne Balibar (Open Democracy, link):

"In the current situation there is a crying need to limit the arbitrariness of States by confronting them with legitimate and internationally recognized counter-powers. (...)

The States transform the mass of migrants into refugees without refuge, hunted from one camp to another."

Council of Europe: State of democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law: Role of institutions - Threats to institutions (pdf): Annual report from the Secretary General:

"Our human rights, democracy and the rule of law depend on the institutions that give them form. But for populists, who invoke the proclaimed “will of the people” in order to stifle opposition, these checks and balances on power are often seen as an obstacle that should be subverted. This year’s report finds nascent trends – illuminated by alarming examples – of exactly this. There have been attempts to undermine institutions at the European level, namely the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights themselves, and at the level of member states which, under the principle of subsidiarity, are at the vanguard of upholding our laws, standards and values."

Spain: European Commission: Schengen evaluation on returns

The European Commission has published: Proposal for a Council Implementing Decision on setting out a recommendation on addressing the deficiencies identified in the 2017 evaluation of Spain on the application of the Schengen acquis in the field of return (LIMITE, COM 2018/300, pdf)

Italy: Standoff in Italy as Salvini refuses to let in refugees after coastguard ship docks (Guardian, link): "Interior minister wants EU states to agree to take 177 refugees and migrants onboard."

EU: Visa Information System: Commission proposals sneak in mandatory biometrics for long-stay visas

EU rules on visa processing oblige all applicants for short-stay visas to provide a variety of personal data, including a photograph and scans of all ten fingerprints, for storage in the central database of the Visa Information System (VIS). Regarding long-stay visas, it is up to Member States to decide what information is taken from applicants - but recent proposals to revamp the VIS include a provision that would introduce a mandatory biometrics requirement. There has been no attempt to demonstrate the necessity or proportionality of this proposal

Germany and Greece reach agreement to repatriate refugees (euractiv, link):

"Berlin has reached an agreement with Athens to send back refugees to Greece if they have already applied for asylum there. The move follows a similar agreement with Spain earlier this month while a deal with Italy is also soon to follow.

“The conclusion is imminent,” German Interior Ministry spokeswoman Eleonore Petermann said on Friday (17 August) in Berlin, pointing out that it only lacks an exchange of agreement letters between the two capitals for the deal to be formally signed.

She said she was not able to reveal any details before that.

She added Germany was negotiating a similar deal with the Italian government, qualifying the planned migration agreement between the two countries as “very advanced”."

Italy threatens to return migrants to Libya (DW, link): "The threat comes amid a standoff with Malta over the fate of 177 migrants rescued by Italy in Maltese waters. Returning migrants to an "unsafe" Libya could pose legal troubles for Rome."

Germany - Asylum granted legally in over 99 percent of cases, review finds (The Local.de, link):

"Despite high profile scandals in the past year, the number of refugees who have been unlawfully granted asylum is far lower than feared, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Monday.

A review of 43,000 successful claims from the first half of 2018 found that asylum had been wrongfully granted in only 0.7 percent of cases, according to figures provided by the Interior Ministry.

The review led to just 307 successful claimants having their asylum status withdrawn, reported the Sueddeutsche Zeitung."

EU/UK Dispute resolution post-Brexit in the light of the White Paper (EU Law Analysis, link):

"The recent report published by UK in a Changing Europe discussed different governance structures that could potentially regulate UK-EU relations post-Brexit. The now published White Paper provides insight into the sort of institutional framework the UK will seek from the EU upon its withdrawal. Is there merit in the UK’s proposals? Are there alternatives? We look into the options for the dispute resolution mechanism post-Brexit."

UK: Sandhurst: Police to investigate 'waterboarding' claims (BBC News, link):

"Military police are investigating claims that two cadets "waterboarded" a fellow recruit at Sandhurst.

The Sun reported two officer cadets allegedly held down an individual, covered his face with a cloth and poured water over it, creating the sensation of drowning.

The alleged incident is said to have taken place on 7 August.

Deputy Commandant of the Royal Military Academy in Surrey Brig Bill Wright said he was "aware of the allegations".

He said he expected "the highest standards of behaviour at Sandhurst" and had therefore "ordered an investigation by the Royal Military Police".

Anyone found to have "fallen short" of those expectations would be "dealt with robustly" - and could be dismissed, he added."

Are You Serious (17.8.18, link):

Feature: Asylum-seekers denied food in transit zones

"The Hungarian Helsinki Committee says that the Hungarian Immigration and Asylum Office refuses to provide food to people in “alien policing procedures” in the transit zones, with the aim of dissuading them from pursuing court appeals and to make them abandon their asylum applications by returning to Serbia.

The inadmissibility decisions are based on a new provision, according to which people are inadmissible if “the applicant arrived through a country where he/she was not exposed to persecution or to serious harm, or if an adequate level of protection was available in the country through which the applicant had arrived to Hungary”."

And see: Asylum-seekers with Inadmissible Claims are Denied Food in Transit Zones at Border (Hungarian Helsinki Committee, pdf)

UPDATED: EU fears its Brexit talks are being bugged by British secret agents trying to obtain sensitive files (Daily Telegraph, link):

"The European Union's Brexit negotiators fear that they are being bugged by the British secret service after the UK obtained sensitive documents "within hours" of them being presented to a meeting of EU officials last month, The Telegraph understands.

A highly placed EU source revealed the security concerns as British negotiators were set to return to Brussels on Thursday to resume Brexit talks.

The two sides remain far apart on the key issues of customs arrangements and Ireland, with Latvia's foreign minister warning on Wednesday that the risk of a 'no deal' outcome was now "50-50"."

Statewatch Director, Tony Bunyan, comments: "The UK agency that is capable of obtaining secret documents is GCHQ. While one of their role is gathering military intelligence they as less open about the gathering of what they call "diplomatic" intelligence from "friendly countries" which they have been doing for decades."

See for example: Britain spied on UN allies over war vote - Security Council members 'illegally targeted' by GCHQ after plea from US security agency (The Observer, 8-2-2004, link): "Britain helped America to conduct a secret and potentially illegal spying operation at the United Nations in the run-up to the Iraq war, The Observer can reveal."

UK-BREXIT: A New Leak Reveals The Government's "No Deal" Brexit Papers Will Cover 84 Areas Of British Life (Buzzfeed, link):

"Papers on the consequences of leaving the EU without an agreement will cover topics from broadcasting to blood safety, according to a list seen by BuzzFeed News."

Are You Syrious (16.8.18, link)

FEATURE: Praise and despair after Aquarius docs in Malta

"In the UNHCR press release from 15 August, when the Aquarius was finally granted permission to disembark 141 asylum seekers and migrants in Malta after more than five days at sea, High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi harshly criticised the delay in disembarkation:

“But the situation should never have come to this in the first place. It is wrong, dangerous and immoral to keep rescue ships wandering the Mediterranean while governments compete on who can take the least responsibility.”

We cannot agree more with Mr Grandi, but have to remind him of UNHCR responsibility, too.

The UNHCR press release appealed to shipmasters not to stop efforts towards rescues at sea, presumably in a bid to prevent the delays in providing a port of safety becoming a deterrent to those who wish to save lives at sea."

EU: All visa applicants to be profiled and children fingerprinted for revamped Visa Information System

All applicants for short-stay Schengen visas will be automatically profiled by a set of "risk indicators" and children from the age of six and up will be fingerprinted, if the European Commission's proposals for the Visa Information System (VIS) are agreed as foreseen.

Ministers stay away as Brexit officials resume talks on Irish border (euractiv, link):

"EU and UK officials cut short their summer holidays to resume Brexit talks in Brussels on Thursday (16 August). The two days of technical meetings will focus on the Northern Irish border and future trade relations but officials indicated that there was little chance of a breakthrough.

New Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier did not attend the talks."

EU urged to step in after Romania protests led to violence (Guardian, link): "European commission called on to defend rule of law in wake of injuries at protests,"

EU fears its Brexit talks are being bugged by British secret agents trying to obtain sensitive files (Daily Telegraph, link):

"The European Union's Brexit negotiators fear that they are being bugged by the British secret service after the UK obtained sensitive documents "within hours" of them being presented to a meeting of EU officials last month, The Telegraph understands.

A highly placed EU source revealed the security concerns as British negotiators were set to return to Brussels on Thursday to resume Brexit talks.

The two sides remain far apart on the key issues of customs arrangements and Ireland, with Latvia's foreign minister warning on Wednesday that the risk of a 'no deal' outcome was now "50-50"."

Statewatch Director, Tony Bunyan, comments: "The UK agency that is capable of obtaining secret documents is GCHQ. While one of their role is gathering military intelligence they as less open about the gathering of what they call "diplomatic" intelligence from "friendly countries" which they have been doing for decades."

Migrant rescue ship arrives in Malta, ending standoff (euractiv, link):

"The Mediterranean rescue ship Aquarius arrived at Valletta harbour in Malta on Wednesday (15 August) to allow 141 migrants to get off, ending a five-day tug-of-war among EU countries which had seen the vessel banned from docking in several ports.

The ship, run by the Franco-German charity SOS Mediterranée and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), was allowed in after France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain agreed on Tuesday to take in the migrants, who were rescued off the coast of Libya."

UK: Police officer who arrested Rashan Charles cleared of misconduct (Guardian, link):

"Officer criticised for ‘basic failings’ in arrest of 20-year-old who died in east London.

The police officer who arrested and detained Rashan Charles before his death has been cleared of misconduct, although the police watchdog said he had “failed to perform his role satisfactorily”.

Charles died last year after he was chased by officers into a shop in Dalston, east London. The 20-year-old swallowed a package of paracetamol and caffeine as he was detained, and a postmortem found that it blocked his airway, causing a heart attack.

On Wednesday the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found that while the officer, known only as BX47, had made some mistakes, he was not guilty of misconduct.

The family are “extremely disappointed” by the findings. The solicitor who represents the family, Imran Khan QC, said: “We are … actively considering challenges to the decision.”"

G20 in Hamburg: Data protection commissioner considers face recognition illegal (link)

"The Hamburg police have been researching facial analysis software for several years, which was then used for the first time after the G20 summit. The technology accesses the nationwide INPOL file for criminal offenders maintained by the Federal Criminal Police Office. The detection rates are meagre, but the system is still to be used permanently in Hamburg for the „processing of major events“."

Spain to take in 60 of the 141 Aquarius migrants: PM Sanchez (The Local, link):

"Spain and Portugal on Tuesday offered to take in most of the 141 migrants on board the Aquarius after it was given permission to dock in Malta, resolving a new standoff over the rescue ship

Madrid said it would accept 60 people, while Portugal offered to welcome 30, with the remainder distributed between France, Germany and Luxembourg, government sources in Malta and Spain said."

Turkish Coast Guard Command: Irregular migration statistics (link): Shows that the recorded number of refugees was 10,583 in 2017 on comparable dates and 15,497 in 2018.

Romania to probe alleged police violence at protest (euractiv, link):

"Romania has opened an enquiry into alleged police violence at a mass anti-corruption protest against the leftwing government last week where hundreds were injured, military prosecutors said Monday.

Around 80,000 people -many of them, Romanians living abroad- demonstrated late Friday (10 August) in Bucharest, accusing the government of corruption and urging it to resign.

Police used water cannon, tear gas, pepper spray and batons to disperse the crowd. More than 450 people, including 30 police, were hurt and around 30 arrested, leading to widespread criticism."

Niger suppresses dissent as US leads influx of foreign armies (Guardian, link):

"the 800 US defence personnel in Niger are not alone. They are one of four western armies that have installed themselves in the vast desert landscape, variously flying armed drones, hunting militants, building vast bases, controlling migration and collecting intelligence from the region.

This is what the April protest was about."

Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe (10.8.18)

EU: Keeping the public in the dark: Council working parties will keep no minutes of meetings on next EU budget

The EU is heading for major new developments with the Commission's proposals for massively increased justice and home affairs budgets for the 2021 to 2027 period, but it seems that some things never change - transparency in the Council is set to be kept at an absolute minimum.

Humanitarian ship seeks European port for rescued migrants (euractiv, link):

"Human rights groups called on European governments on Sunday to tell a charity ship where it can dock and let more than 140 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean disembark in safety.

The Aquarius, run by Franco-German charity SOS Mediterranee and Doctors without Borders (MSF), rescued 141 people in two separate operations off the Libyan coast last week."

Are You Syrious (12.8.18, link)

Morocco

"Earlier this week, AYS reported on the violent attacks and mass evictions of refugee encampments in Nador carried out by auxiliary forces. The violent evictions are ongoing this week, and the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) published a story today from an eviction that occurred on Saturday. The police were destroying shelters in the “Lakhmis Akdim” camp when they were confronted by a woman with a very sick infant. They refused to give her any assistance, and carried on to destroy her shelter, leaving her alone in an isolated area without any way to reach a hospital."

Feature

"MSF and SOS Mediterannee, which jointly operate the Aquarius rescue ship, are urgently calling on European authorities to assign a port of safety to the ship, which is currently carrying 114 refugees. The people onboard were all rescued on Friday, and have been waiting at sea since then. During both rescues the Aquarius informed all relevant authorities of its activities, including Italian, Maltese, and Tunisian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres, and the Libyan Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC). Despite their outreach to all these coordinating centers, no RCC has yet offered a port of landing." (...)

What you need to know: The German-Spanish migrant deal (DW, link):

"Berlin and Madrid are demonstrating unity with a joint agreement on returning migrants from Germany to Spain. Now Germany wants to seal similar deals with other countries. But what exactly does it involve?"

What Salvini teaches us about Operation Sophia (euobserver, link):

"In his political rampage since becoming Italy's minister of the interior, Matteo Salvini has recently begun targeting European crisis management missions such as Operation Sophia.

This mission, currently led by an Italian admiral and specifically pushed for back in 2015 by the then-Italian government, aroused his displeasure because of its rescue efforts for migrants in the Mediterranean." (...)

UN human rights chief: Trump's attacks on press 'close to incitement of violence' (Guardian, link)

Exclusive: Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, who steps down this month, says US president’s rhetoric echoes that of the worst eras of the 20th century."

Divisive Aquarius ship resumes migrant rescues off Libya: NGOs (The Local, link):

"Two French groups operating the rescue ship Aquarius said Saturday it was back in Libyan coastal waters for the first time since triggering a diplomatic row over migration in June.

The Aquarius picked up 141 people on Friday in two separate operations, SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders said on Twitter.

The Aquarius "remains in the search and rescue zone, and on the lookout for any other craft in distress"."

Migrants Malta Does Not Want Are Powering Its Economy (Refugees Deeply, link):

"African migrants are moving from Italy to Malta to work, but find themselves undocumented and unprotected. Leanne Tory-Murphy reports that Malta’s economy is desperate for workers but the country is in political denial over migration."

Germany seals deal with Spain to return registered asylum seekers (euractiv, link):

"Berlin and Madrid finalised an agreement on Monday (6 August) that will see asylum seekers that reach Germany via Spain returned to the Iberian nation.

Interior ministers of both countries signed the declaration and it will enter into force next Saturday (11 August) after Angela Merkel and Pedro Sánchez first settled on an agreement during the June EU Council summit.

German authorities will be able to send migrants back to Spain within 48 hours and will take care of the cost of the transfer. Spain will then proceed with their asylum applications. Non-accompanied minors are excluded from the agreement and will remain in Germany."

Migrant rescue ship docks in Spain again after Italy refusal (The Local, link):

"An NGO ship which saved 87 migrants in distress off Libya docked in Spain on Thursday after roaming the Mediterranean for days, the third such vessel to be allowed in the country in two months after Italy refused to take them in.

The white ship belonging to Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms arrived in the southern port of San Roque, just over the bay from Gibraltar, at 9:20am (0720 GMT)."

Charities in Calais claim police harass British and other volunteers (The Local.fr, link):

"In a new report, UK and French migrant charities in Calais say their volunteers are being systematically bullied by the police.

The UK charity Help Refugees and other NGOs helping migrants in Calais have published a report claiming that their volunteers are systematically harassed and intimidated by the police.

The publication co-authored by UK charity Help Refugees and French NGOs Auberge des Migrants, Utopia56 and Refugee Info Bus lists no less than 646 incidents relating to police intimidation over the past eight months leading up to July."

EU’s top court backs copyright holder in landmark ruling (euractiv, link):

"Users who publish content freely available on the internet should get consent from the person behind it, Europe’s top court ruled on Tuesday (7 August) in a boost to the bloc’s creative industries.(...)

The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) ruling came after a secondary school student in Germany downloaded a photograph of Cordoba from a travel website to illustrate a presentation which was then published on the school website.(...)

“The posting on a website of a photograph that was freely accessible on another website with the consent of the author requires a new authorisation by that author,” judges said.

“By posting on the internet, the photograph is made available to a new public,” they said.

Judges said posting a work online was different from hyperlinks which lead users to another website and thus contribute to the smooth functioning of the internet."

See: The posting on a website of a photograph that was freely accessible on another website with the consent of the author requires a new authorisation by that author (CJEU Press release, pdf)

Migrants marooned in Bosnia – in pictures (Guardian, link):

"Migrants live in hard conditions in makeshift camps in Bihac, Bosnia-Herzegovina, near the border with Croatia as they wait to pass to other European countries. Thousands are seeking out alternative passage to the EU after the western Balkan route was closed by European leaders in 2016. Bosnia is experiencing an economic meltdown after years of war that left tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands internally displaced. The country applied to join the EU in 2016, but has been told that membership remains some distance in the future"

UK-EU: Schengen data fiasco - UK responsible for "very serious deficiencies" in its use of SIS

On 1 August 2018 the Council of the European Union circulated: Commission Implementing Decision establishing the report of the 2017 evaluation of the United Kingdom on the application of the Schengen acquis in the field of the Schengen Information System (LIMITE doc no: 11474-118, pdf) which concluded that:

"the Presidency invites the delegations to confirm on 3 September 2018 (Working Party for Schengen Matters (Schengen Evaluations)) that the evaluation process should continue. On this basis, the Presidency will suggest that Coreper recommends, as a I/A-item, that the Council invite the Commission to present a proposal for a Council Implementing Decision setting out a recommendation to address the very serious deficiencies identified in the evaluation of the United Kingdom in view of fulfilling the conditions necessary for the application of the Schengen acquis in the field of the Schengen Information System, pursuant to Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1053/2013."

The Hope Project, Lesvos (link):

"“Since early 2015 we have been rescuing providing aid to refugees. They estimate that in 2015/2016 we brought in 600.000 people on the north shore, Although the numbers of arrivals have dropped boats are still arriving and we continue to help.”

Greek migrant camps at breaking point as arrivals continue (Channel 4 News, link)

"The migration crisis is shaping politics and influencing elections across Europe, and although the number of people seeking a new life on the continent has slowed, people are still coming by the boatload. One of the countries under the biggest strain is Greece. They've had over 500 new arrivals on their islands since Friday. We went to Greece, along with a group who know all too well the plight of escaping persecution - Jewish people brought over as children on the Kindertransport rescue effort during the Nazi era. We visited the island of Lesbos, which is host to more than 10,000 people stuck in camps, both official and unofficial, and had over 250 new arrivals just today."

Are You Syrious (6.8.18, link):

Libya

"The Italian Parliament decided yesterday to gift the Libyan Coast guard 12 new patrol boats. They boats will be run by EU trained personnel from Libya. Proactiva Open Arms, as well as other sea rescue missions and human rights NGOs, have said this is a horrible decision to fund Libya and their modern slavery.

Libya continues to be the main transit country for people to try and reach Europe, according to the latest UNHCR figures. As of the July 31st 2018, the Libyan Coast Guard intercepted 12,633 people along the Libyan Coast. They brought back 2,167 persons in July, 3,453 in June, and 1,756 in May. 97 bodies have been found in all of 2018."

Sea

"The Aquarius has made it clear that moving forward, they will not wait for orders from Libya or any other coastguards; if they see people in distress they won’t let them die at Sea. They are starting to patrol 25–30 miles from the Libyan coast, which is still in the rescue area but not in Libyan territorial waters. They also refuse to take people back to Libya, as it cannot be considered a safe country."

Spain

"Around 300 Lawyers in Málaga work in rotations to provide legal services for people arriving by boats and rescue missions. The system set in place is working better at addressing the needs of Spain’s doubled new arrivals in 2018. The Cádiz Bar Association intends to replicate their organization, which is based on two pillars: first, de-institutionalized operation allowing for more flexibility and second, adequately training lawyers to help in identify human trafficking victims."

Eurojust - Tunisia: Strategic Agreement

Eurojust: Eurojust's plans for commencing negotiations with a view to entering into a strategic agreement with Tunisia (Limite doc no: 11407-18, 27 July 2018, pdf).

UK-BREXIT: No-deal Brexit poses serious risk to public safety, say police leaders - Exclusive: leaked letter warns home secretary of ‘significant loss of operational capacity’ (Guardian, link):

"A no-deal Brexit poses a substantial risk to public safety, with police officers instantly losing vital access to cross-border investigative powers and databases, the home secretary has been told in a letter from the national body of police and crime commissioners.

In the leaked document – marked “official sensitive” – the police leaders urge Sajid Javid to immediately draft contingency plans, warning that officers faced “a significant loss of operational capacity” should the UK crash out of the EU in March."

UK: ICPO inquiry into bulk collection of data

The new Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office is carrying out an inquiry bulk collection and has had Responses to the IPC’s request for submissions on bulk powers which include:

""The uses of bulk secondary data illustrated in the Bulk Powers Review make no claim to be limited to ascertaining whether an individual is inside or outside the British Islands. The uses go far wider than that."

Are You Syrious (4.8.18, link):

Feature: The EU is sending children to death

"It is shocking even to report that some governments are deciding to deport children. Even more when the child is deported to one of the most dangerous countries in the world?—?Afghanistan.

However, this was recently the case in The Netherlands, where a vulnerable Afghan family with a minor have been deported to Afghanistan. (...)

The UN Security Council has listed Afghanistan as a ´country at war´. People who are deported from mostly EU member countries, are arriving in overcrowded Afghan camps where children are starving due to the inhuman conditions and freezing winters."

Greece

"According to the Aegean Boat Report, on Saturday morning, 22 people were dropped off on the shores of northern Lesvos, all from Afghanistan. During the night, at around 3am, a dinghy landed near Molyvos with 41 people on board. In both cases, volunteers were there to help and greet people. In July alone 1294 people arrived on Lesvos."

France

"Solidarité migrants Wilson reports about the raids over the last couple of days at the Chapel. The area was left empty of people after the raids. It is still not clear where the people were moved to. If you have any information about where these refugees were taken, contact Solidarite migrnats Wilson.

Faces Before Numbers report about the new asylum and immigration bill that was adopted last week. As they write, the new bill is “hugely and dangerously jeopardising the right to claim asylum and the rights of the people claiming asylum”"

Germany’s Seehofer pushes migrant take-back deal with Italy, Greece (euractiv, link):

"German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on Sunday (5 August) said he hoped for a breakthrough this week in talks with Italy and Greece on taking back asylum-seekers already registered in those countries, as Berlin toughens its migration policies."

Bahaa al Saaor : We will never forget you (Samos Chronicles, link):

"“It is Wednesday August 1st 2018.

What words can describe our feelings as we wait on the border between Syria and Turkey. We were all dreaming about freedom and hoping to be safe and to continue our life without fear.

The time is 12:00 in the night. This is the time when we start our travel.

The smuggler shouted ” come on, come on ” Our group is 9 men and one woman with her child.

We get to the top of the mountain then we waited to get an order to move again." (...)

And see: Fundamentally Flawed: The realities of the Mental Health Crisis for Refugees on Samos (Samos Chronicles, link); "They remind us that services and interventions which are not appropriate are worse than useless. They remind us that a total reliance on wholly western psychological /social work practices and theories are also worse than useless and can deepen problems. They remind us that amongst the refugees there are many talents and human resources which are brought to bear both to understand what they face and to find ways of coping with daily life in and around the Camp." (...)

The CJEU and the rule of law in Poland: Note on the Polish Supreme Court preliminary ruling request of 2 August 2018 (EU law Analysis, link):

" On Thursday the Polish Supreme Court submitted to the European Court of Justice a preliminary ruling request under Article 267 TFEU. While doing so it also suspended the application of a Polish law forcing the early retirement of Supreme Court justices who are above 65 years old, including the President of the Supreme Court whose mandate is guaranteed by the Polish Constitution. This is a challenge to the Polish government’s changes to the judiciary, on the grounds that it violates the rule of law."

Spain’s right whips up fear as migration surge hits Andalucian shores (The Observer, link):

"New rightwing party leaders are convinced that immigration will be a vote-winner, but on the front line in Algeciras there is more frustration than alarm (...)

In a country that has traditionally been pro-immigration and devoid of a significant far-right party since its return to democracy, their words have raised eyebrows and concerns. “The first thing we need to be clear about is that there’s a bit of unwarranted alarm over the arrivals we’ve seen over the past month,” said Villahoz, president of Algeciras Acoge, the local branch of an Andalucian NGO that works to protect, educate and integrate migrants and refugees."

UNHCR: Med arrivals in 2018 (3.8.18): Total arrivals: 62,304, dead/missing: 1,511. Cyprus: 73, Greece: 16,142, Italy: 18,475 and Spain: 27,614.

Refugee crisis: latest news from across Europe (3.8.18)

Council of the European Union: Radicalisation, LEA Practical Advisor and JHA Working groups

• Radicalisation: High Level Commission Expert Group on Radicalisation - final report: Follow up and work ahead (LIMITE doc no: 10239-18, pdf):

"After nine months' work the group delivered its final report3 on 18 May 2018 thereby completing its mandate. It was presented to the JHA-Council of 5 June 2018, as well as to the Terrorism Working Party on 11 June 2018. It will be further discussed under the Austrian Presidency.

Proposal for a Practical Advisor for Law Enforcement Information Exchange (LIMITE doc no: 6243-REV-!-18, pdf): With detailed six-column charts.

List of Council preparatory bodies (Doc no: 10925-18, pdf):: Justice & Home Affairs on p12.

Are You Syrious (2.8.18, link):

Feature

"700 people have died on the Central Mediterranean route in the past 6 weeks, MSF has reported .

700 men, women, and children.

700 people who could have been saved if the EU could create an effective sea rescue mission.

700 people on Italy’s conscience, Austria’s conscience, Sweden’s conscience, Belgium’s conscience, Greece’s conscience, Croatia’s conscience, Portugal’s conscience, Switzerland’s conscience, Serbia’s conscience, Germany’s conscience, Bulgaria’s conscience, Norway’s conscience, Hungary’s conscience, the UK’s conscience, and all other 36 countries’ consciences on the European continent." (...)

Libya

"The Libyan Coast Guard (LBC) is saying that it intercepted a staggering 547 people on Monday in the Mediterranean. There were 3 separate groups with a total of 388 men, 66 women and 19 children. It has been reported that they were given aid, but handed over to the anti-immigration authorities in Tajoura and Tripoli.

While the LBC is praising this as a rescue mission, Aloys Vimard, MSF project coordinator on board the Aquarius, reiterates that Libya cannot be considered a safe third country to due gross human rights violations. As AYS has reported before, these include modern slavery and sexual violence."

Migration will shift political landscape, says Czech PM Babis (Prague Monitor, link): "Babis said the problems in the bloc's border-free Schengen zone were more urgent than those in the eurozone currency group."

Greece-Turkey: MSF alarm as Evros crossings surge (ekathimerini.com, link):

"More than 10,000 migrants and refugees entered the country over land in the first half of 2018 by traversing the Evros River separating Greece from Turkey, against an estimated 7,500 crossings the year before, an international aid group said Thursday."

Unlike Salvini, Italians Still Believe in Welcoming Strangers (Refugees Deeply, link):

"A new survey of Italian attitudes to migration and refugees finds more ideological diversity than commonly assumed. Economist and researcher Tim Dixon unpacks findings that show more nuances than the populism dominating headlines.(...)

Far more Italians believe in the principle of welcoming the stranger and showing compassion, but they also reject a vision of open borders. They believe the net effects of immigration, like globalization, have been negative. Many are deeply worried about the job prospects for young Italians."

Gimme Shelter! Mass Removals of Asylum Seekers from Europe (Part I: Afghanistan) (one smll window, link):

"The current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, now both beyond their fifteen year, are the enduring conflicts of the twenty first century. The latest UN figures for civilian casualties in Afghanistan in the first half of 2018 listed 5122: 1692 deaths and 3430 injured. “More civilians were killed in the first six months of 2018 than in any year since 2009 when UNAMA started systematic monitoring”, with Kabul, Helmand and Kandahar among the most dangerous provinces." (...)

And see: Gimme Shelter! Mass Removals of Asylum Seekers from Europe (Part II: Iraq):

"Many of the problems faced by Afghans being deported are also faced by Iraqis asylum seekers in Europe. They are often sent to a country they barely know, if at all, fearful for their safety and sometimes to regions where the local language and culture is not their own. In addition, they may find themselves displaced more than once in Iraq and facing destitution in spite of the financial aid they may receive under an assisted voluntary return (AVR) or assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) scheme."

EU: Frequently Asked Questions on the European Public Prosecutor's Office (pdf):

"On 8 June 2017, 20 EU Member States reached a political agreement on the establishment of a new European Public Prosecutor's Office under enhanced cooperation. The Regulation establishing the European Public Prosecutor's Office was adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Council of 12 October 2017 and entered into force on 20 November 2017."

Opinion: Anchor centers are shipwrecks of EU migration policy (DW, link)

"Their names sound nice: "Anchor centers" and "disembarkation platforms." But these camps for asylum-seekers that the EU wants to set up are supposed to deter migration — though they won't work, says DW's Bernd Riegert.

Anchor, disembarkation, landing and controlled centers. The melodious names cloaking the European Union's dead-end asylum policies can do little more than mask the real problems at hand. There is certainly no lack of theoretical concepts regarding the internment, deterrence and deportation of those denied asylum or migrants with no chance of being granted residency."

France adopts controversial asylum and immigration law (euobserver, link):

"France’s parliament signed into law a controversial asylum and immigration bill on Wednesday (1 August), despite opposition on the left which decried an effort to limit arrivals while the far right saw the measure as not going far enough.

The bill is designed to accelerate asylum procedures by cutting the maximum processing time to 90 days after entering France from 120 currently."

Germany lifts ban on reunions for refugees, rekindles integration debate (euractiv, link):

"Germany on Wednesday (1 August) resumed family reunifications for some refugees, drawing ire from leftist groups who said a cap of 1,000 people a month was too low and a far-right party opposed to immigration altogether.

In 2016, the government suspended the right to bring in immediate family members for asylum seekers granted limited protection in a bid to ease the burden on social workers handling a record influx of a million migrants.

The ban did not apply to asylum applicants granted full refugee status as they have a constitutional right to invite their families to join them."

Migrants' return to Libya by Italian boat could breach international law – UN - Vessel may have broken international law by returning 108 people rescued from Mediterranean to Tripoli (Guardian, link):

"An operation in which an Italian towboat rescued more than 100 people in the Mediterranean and returned them to Libya may have been in breach of international law, the United Nations has said.

According to the Spanish charity Proactiva Open Arms, the Asso 28, an oil rig support vessel, rescued 108 people from international waters on Monday and took them to Libya, their country of departure.

If confirmed, this would constitute a breach of international law, under which migrants rescued in international waters cannot be returned to a place where their lives are put in danger. Both the United Nations and European Union have acknowledged that Libya is not safe."

UK: Home Office misled court about treatment of child refugees from Calais, judges find - Appeal court rules not giving reasons for refusal to join families in UK was unlawful (Guardian, link):

"The government “materially misled” the high court about its treatment of child refugees who applied for safe passage to the UK from Calais, giving incomplete evidence that was “a serious breach of the duty of candour and cooperation”, the court of appeal ruled on Tuesday.

Judges said the process used to assess about 2,000 children before and after the clearance of the makeshift refugee camp in 2016 was “unfair and unlawful”."

See: Judgment (pdf)

EU Commission: Libya unfit for migrant disembarkation (euobserver, link):

"The European Commission says Libya fails to meet basic international standards for disembarking rescued migrants, after an Italian ship reportedly unloaded some 100 people at a port near Tripoli.

Commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud on Tuesday (31 July) said a person's life must not be threatened and that housing, food, and medical needs must be met before disembarkation can take place."

Surveillance laboratory Südkreuz - Another pilot project to monitor travellers is starting at a Berlin train station (link)

"The German Federal Police is testing the use of technology at Berlin’s Südkreuz railway station to detect and intervene in conspicuous behavior. Hazardous situations are defined for this purpose, which are then to be automatically identified with the aid of „intelligent video analysis systems“.

In response to a written question, the Federal Ministry of the Interior provides more detailed information on the six scenarios to be identified for the first time. For example, the technology should classify suitcases that stand around unattended for a long time as „suspicious objects“. Persons who behave conspicuously or enter blocked areas are also be reported."

21 August 2018

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21 August 2018

Schengen and AFIS

 

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