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New data retention planned for border crossings of all European Union citizens
The European Union could soon save the date and place of each crossing of the EU’s external borders. Travellers’ identification documents would be read out and their biographical data saved along with information regarding border crossings. Police forces and intelligence services would have access to this data. The European Commission published the final report of the […]
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“E-smuggling”: Europol steps up efforts against online-assisted migrant crossings
According to the EU police agency, in the past year 17,459 people operated as “human traffickers”. In the majority of cases, refugees and their facilitators communicate using Facebook or Telegram. Seizing of electronic evidence is thus to take on a greater role in investigations. Last year, the EU police agency Europol received reports of 1,150 […]
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Bundestag report finds flaws in the oversight of European intelligence services in The Hague
The Federal Ministry of the Interior is using every possible means to keep Parliament from learning details of the cooperation between European domestic intelligence services in The Hague. The official reason is an internal agreement between the services. Yet the Federal Government has an obligation to furnish parliamentarians with information, even when there is a […]
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Counter-terrorism and the inflation of EU databases
Heiner Busch and Matthias Monroy. Translation by Viktoria Langer The topic of counter-terrorism in Europe remains closely linked to the development and expansion of police (and secret service) databases. This was the case in the 1970s, after 11 September 2001 and has also been the case since 2014, when the EU Member States started working […]
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Who drives EU counter-terrorism? On the legislation of the European Union
Heiner Busch and Matthias Monroy. Translation by Viktoria Langer The formal process of developing and implementing EU counter-terrorism law and policy begins with the heads of government, in the European Council, setting out strategic guidelines. Thereafter, the Commission produces proposals for laws and policies that are discussed by the Council of the EU (made up […]
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Migration monitoring in the Mediterranean region – Libyan military to be linked up to European surveillance systems
The Mediterranean countries of the EU are establishing a network to facilitate communication between armed forces and the border police. Libya, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia are also set to take part. This would make them, through the back door, part of the surveillance system EUROSUR. Refugees could then be seized on the open seas before […]