Issue 14/23, 7 September
Statewatch News
Also available as a PDF.
Welcome back to our first bulletin after the summer break, with a wealth of news, analysis and a new publication, featuring:
- Dangerous AI Act loophole must be closed
- EU secrecy: from “bubble” to “fortress”?
- Search and rescue NGOs under attack
- Secret EU-USA biometric exchange plan
And: Migration cooperation with Niger halted – for now; UK nationals being “wrongfully detained”; Diaspora populations as leverage for migration control; Telling the story of EU border militarization; and much more.
Don't forget to browse our compilation of new material from other organisations and outlets, covering important developments including: Racist violence in Cyprus; Another spycop unmasked in Spain; UK government plans to expand facial recognition; EU court rules; Frontex unaccountable for refugee deportation; Police snooping on anti-militarist and climate protesters.
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Dangerous AI Act loophole must be closed
We have joined almost 120 other organisations in calling for a dangerous loophole in the EU’s proposed Artificial Intelligence Act to be closed. The loophole, introduced at the behest of big tech lobbyists, would allow developers of AI systems to decide whether or not they should face legal regulation.
Read the statement here.
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EU secrecy: from “bubble” to “fortress”?
A proposal published last year has received little public or political attention, but threatens to fatally undermine the already-limited transparency and openness in the EU. The proposed Regulation on information security in the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Union requires substantial amendment if it is not to extend to other EU institutions and agencies the secrecy and opacity that has for so long characterised the work of the Council.
Read the full analysis here.
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Search and rescue NGOs under attack
European states – and in particular, Italy – are obstructing and undermining the life-saving work of search and rescue NGOs in the Mediterranean – the deadliest border in the world and where thousands of people have died already this year. With 55 other organisations, we have signed a statement calling for other EU states to pressure Italy to halt its actions against search and rescue organisations; for the upholding of maritime and international law; and for the creation of safe and legal corridors to access EU territory.
Read the full statement here.
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Secret EU-USA biometric exchange plan
The EU and USA want to set up mutual interconnections between biometric databases – but they would rather the public knew nothing about it. A proposed “Enhanced Border Security Partnership” would involve “continuous and systematic” transfers of biometric data in both directions. The Commission has refused to release documents that would provide further information to the public.
Read the full story here.
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Our reports
EU: Dangerous loophole in the AI Act must be closed to protect rights
EU: Commission halts migration cooperation with Niger, but for how long?
Brexit: UK nationals “are being wrongfully detained whilst transiting through the Schengen area”
UK: Papers, please: how one man’s academic research turned him into a terrorism suspect
Cyprus: Racist "pogrom" against Syrian refugees
Urgent warning: more deaths at sea, NGO ships blocked
EU and USA plough ahead with secret discussions on biometric data exchange scheme
European Commission wants to boost border spending by billions of euros
Analysis
The proposal on security of EU information: transforming the “bubble” into a “fortress”?
International police data-sharing: what are the UK and EU cooking up?
Publication
Telling the story of EU border militarization
News
7 SeptemberEU: Dangerous loophole in the AI Act must be closed to protect rights
Almost 120 civil society organisations, including Statewatch, are calling on MEPs to close a massive loophole in the proposed Artificial Intelligence Act introduced under pressure from big tech lobbyists. Without changes, the law will allow developers of AI systems to decide whether or not the systems they produce should be considered "high-risk" or not - an obvious invitation for them to decide that they are not, in order to avoid the extra safeguards that the Act should impose.
7 SeptemberEU: Commission halts migration cooperation with Niger, but for how long?
EU-promoted migration control policies have caused discontent in Niger, and it has been suggested they may have contributed to the unpopularity of toppled president Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted in a military coup in July. After the coup, the European Commission halted its support for security and migration projects in the country. However, its willingness to cooperate with institutions and actors that violate human rights elsewhere raises the question: for how long?
And see: Secrecy and the externalisation of EU migration control
5 SeptemberBrexit: UK nationals “are being wrongfully detained whilst transiting through the Schengen area”
UK citizens who have retained post-Brexit rights as legal residents of EU member states have “encountered problems when transiting Schengen States on their way to the [member state] where they reside,” according to the European Commission – including “being wrongfully detained whilst transiting through the Schengen area.”
31 AugustUK: Papers, please: how one man’s academic research turned him into a terrorism suspect
Book review: In ‘The Suspect’, Rizwaan Sabir offers an intimate first person account of the experience of being accused of involvement in terrorism. He was arrested in May 2008 for possessing a document deemed useful for committing terrorist acts, as part of his academic research into Al Qaida at Nottingham University.
31 AugustCyprus: Racist "pogrom" against Syrian refugees
The Cypriot anti-racist organisation KISA has denounced a racist "pogrom" against Syrian refugees in Chloraka, in which various far-right groups attacked adults, children and property. The "well-organised and coordinated attack" grew from "the fertile ground created by the state migration and asylum policies, which are based on systemic racism and discrimination, in flagrant violation of human rights as well as EU and international law," says a press release from KISA. The police, meanwhile, are accused of having "tolerated and apathetically at first watched the violent attacks and other offences," until they eventually made "three arrests, two of which were of Syrian refugees according to media reports, victimising once again the victims of the attacks."
30 AugustUrgent warning: more deaths at sea, NGO ships blocked
A joint statement signed by 56 organisations, including Statewatch, calls for European states to stop obstructing and hindering civil search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea.
24 AugustEU and USA plough ahead with secret discussions on biometric data exchange scheme
The EU and USA are discussing a proposed “Enhanced Border Security Partnership” which would involve “continuous and systematic” transfers of biometric data in both directions, but the Commission has refused to release documents that would provide further information to the public.
24 AugustTracking the Pact: Presidency's proposed negotiating position on force majeure Regulation; member state comments
On 26 July the Council Presidency circulated what it intended to be the Council's negotiating mandate on the proposed Regulation addressing situations of crisis and force majeure in the field of migration and asylum. Agreement within the Council on the text remains elusive, but it is being made public here, alongside previous versions of the text and compilations of comments from member states on various issues raised by the proposal.
24 AugustSpanish Council Presidency: how can we use the diaspora population as leverage for migration control?
The EU should use policies on the diaspora population to step up pressure on third countries to cooperate with migration control, the Spanish Council Presidency has suggested, by “embedding discussions on diaspora relations in bilateral relations on migration with partner countries.”
7 AugustRights groups slam “nonsensical priorities” of EU Commission €15bn border wall boost following hottest month on record
Rights groups have hit back at the European Commission’s commitment to radically increase border spending in spite of multiple human rights scandals on Europe’s borders; and contrasted it to the lack of new support and finance for climate action following last month’s record heatwave.
6 AugustEuropean Commission wants to boost border spending by billions of euros
In June the European Commission proposed amendments to the EU’s budget for the 2021-27 period, arguing that existing finances are at “the point of exhaustion”. The changes sought by the Commission would increase the budget for “migration and external challenges” by €15 billion.
Analysis
7 September 2023The proposal on security of EU information: transforming the “bubble” into a “fortress”?
EU institutions are currently discussing a proposal for a new law "on information security in the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Union." While the objective itself may be legitimate, the proposal as it stands seeks to extend to other EU institutions and agencies the secrecy and opacity that has for so long characterised the work of the Council. It undermines existing legislation on public access to official documents and would fatally undermine the treaty obligation for the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the EU "to conduct their work as openly as possible." At the same time, the proposal fails to ensure the interinstitutional and interagecy cooperation necessary to ensure an effective administration.
19 July 2023International police data-sharing: what are the UK and EU cooking up?
For the last few years, British and European officials have been seeking ways to regain the ability to instantly share police data across borders – an ability that was lost after the UK left the EU at the end of 2020. The plan currently under development is to build a new data-sharing architecture encompassing the UK, the EU and other “international partners,” but substantive details of it are being kept under lock and key. The implications go beyond privacy and data protection, and raise questions about the potential uses of a new system to crack down on the right to protest, as well as the right to seek asylum.
Publication
7 AugustTelling the story of EU border militarization
Addressing and preventing European border violence is a huge but necessary strategic challenge. This guide offers framing messages, guiding principles, and suggested language for people and organisations working on this challenge. It emerges from a process of discussion online and in-person between over a dozen organisations working in the European migrant justice space.
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Upcoming events
Berlin, 11 September„We were prisoners of the Polish state“: Film and discussion about detention camps for refugees in Poland
“The film „We were prisoners of the Polish state“ by Wojciech Szumowski and Rut Kurkiewicz tells the stories of refugees who came to Poland and, instead of receiving protection, were locked up for months or even years under very harsh conditions. They were subjected to violence, hunger, abuse, and racism, and received no medical or psychological help. In prison, they went on hunger strike to fight for basic human rights to respect and safety.
The film was produced for the TV channel TVN24 and caused heated debates in the country when it was aired.”
Online, 18 SeptemberSpeaker Series 2023 - Challenging Racist Digital Technologies
“In this session led by Dr. Nawal Mustafa, Legal officer at Public Interest Litigation Project (PILP) and Jill Toh, PhD student at Institute for Information Law (IViR) and co-founder of the Racism and Technology Center we will discuss how digital technologies are developed using race as a factor to systematically discriminate and oppress individuals and/or populations.
We plan to highlight the collective harm and structural inequality suffered as a component that unevenly distributes vulnerability and we explored how the EU Charter can be (and has been) used to challenge these practices.”
London, 21 SeptemberThe Violence of Britishness | Book Reading
“A conversation with the author of 'The Violence of Britishness - Racism, Borders and the Conditions of Citizenship', and the Institute of Race Relations trustee, Frances Webber.”
Brussels, 26 SeptemberJoin EDRi to talk encryption, surveillance and privacy
“Join us to discuss together what encryption means for people and democracy and how current European legislation will impact the security of our communications.”
New material
Asylum, immigration and borders
Melting Pot, 7 SeptemberLa CEDU condanna l’Italia a risarcire una minore straniera non accompagnata per le condizioni di accoglienza
ECHR condemns Italy for failing to guarantee adequate reception and protection to a child from Ghana, a victim of previous violence in her country of origin and in Libya, in violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“Since Frontex does not have the power to assess the merits of return decisions or applications for international protection, that EU agency cannot be held liable for any damage related to the return of those refugees to Türkiye”
EurActiv, 5 SeptemberAustrian government wants to outsource asylum procedures to Africa
“The Austrian government aims to outsource applications for asylum procedures to third states such as Rwanda in a move that would reduce migration significantly, Chancellor Karl Nehammer told die Welt on Monday.”
And see: Austria calls for EU to adopt UK-style Rwanda plan for refugees (28 November 2022)
EUobserver, 5 SeptemberEU Commission defends Baltic states accused of pushbacks
“The European Commission has defended policies enacted by Latvia and Lithuania to stem migration at their shared borders with Belarus — despite widespread criticism that they are trampling on asylum rights.”
InfoMigrants, 4 SeptemberItaly and Greece agree on Mediterranean migration alliance
“Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and her Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis have decided to form an alliance of Mediterranean countries in the EU for migration policies. One focus will be cooperation with African countries of origin and transit.”
ECRE, 31 AugustECRE Policy Paper: Reforming EU Asylum Law: the Final Stage
“The paper analyses the positions of the two co-legislators – the Council of the EU and the European Parliament – on the legislative proposals under negotiation, including the Asylum Procedures Regulation (APR), the Regulation on Asylum and Migration Management (RAMM), the Screening Regulation, the Eurodac Regulation, the Crisis and Force Majeure Regulation and the Instrumentalisation Regulation.”
Byline Times, 31 August‘We Need to Confront the Lie That There are ‘Safe Routes’ for Refugees to Come to the UK’
“If you listen to any of the many representatives of anti-migrant policies in the media, from the Prime Minister, to the Home Secretary, down through the pecking order to the third former Ukip leader you’ve never heard of, you could be forgiven for believing that migrants and refugees make some really strange personal choices.
Specifically, you would probably believe that the Government has made available safe, formal routes to the UK that refugees are able to access, and that many choose instead, out of some perverse thrill-seeking urge, to “jump the queue” and take incredibly dangerous, irregular journeys across the Channel facilitated by smugglers. It’s time we confront this absurdity head on: the availability of safe routes to the UK for refugees is a lie.”
Sea-Watch International, 31 August
We regularly document cases pointing to close cooperation between the so-called Libyan coastguard and smugglers. Here, we could observe how a ship of the so-called Libyan coastguard intercepts people on the move and steals the engines of their boats afterward.
euronews, 30 AugustMigrant hunters in Greece show off captured 'trophies' after wildfire season
“As the popular belief spreads that migrants are to blame for the fires that have ravaged Greece, self-organised civilian 'militias' are hunting them down.”
Medico International, 30 AugustWhat safety are they talking about? Why Turkey cannot be considered a “safe third country” – an expert opinion
Zoe Gardner, 30 August
French municipal police in Calais caught on video taking away a water dispenser provided by @collective_aid for destitute migrants.
Euractiv, 30 AugustBosnia seeks Austrian support for Frontex status agreement
“Bosnia and Herzegovina is hoping to get Austria’s help in signing a status agreement with the border agency Frontex, as Bosnian Interior Minister Nenad Nesic met with Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner during a working meeting in Vienna on Tuesday.”
CEAR, 30 August
The Spanish government has allowed the disembarkation in Senegal of 168 people rescued by a Spanish ship, ignoring the European Convention on Human Rights and rulings from the European Court of Human Rights.
The Guardian, 29 AugustVideo shows woman lying dead on floor of migration detention centre in Libya
“Footage has emerged showing a woman lying dead on the floor of a migration detention centre in Libya in the latest shocking glimpse of the conditions endured by refugees in the north African country.
The clip, believed to have been filmed two weeks ago and shared with the Guardian by a group who arrived in Tunisia from Libya, shows a room inside the Abu Salim detention centre in Tripoli.”
InfoMigrants, 29 AugustUK could fit asylum seekers with electronic ankle bracelets
“The UK government has not ruled out GPS tagging of Channel migrants. Home Office authorities have been tasked with ensuring that asylum seekers who cannot be detained due to refugee accommodation shortages do not abscond or disappear.”
Strasbourg Observers, 29 AugustThe exceptional case of Ghadamian v Switzerland: Private life and the obligation to regularize migrants
“Ghadamian v Switzerland is one of the rare cases where the European Court of Human Rights decides that the State is under a positive obligation to regularize an irregularly residing migrant. Even more rare perhaps, is the fact that the Court finds this obligation under the right to private life (Article 8). As such, this judgment gives some insight into what the positive obligation to regularize looks like in light of the private life, showing that the finding of a violation is primarily connected to the very particular and individual circumstances of the applicant.”
EUobserver, 28 AugustItaly demands people rescued at sea go to Tunisia, say NGOs
“Italy is demanding civilian rescue ships disembark people in Tunisia, as Rome clamps down on their operations in the Mediterranean Sea, according to NGOs.”
Refugee Support Aegean, 25 AugustRacist Violence Recording Network expresses serious concern over escalating targeting of refugees and migrants
“The Racist Violence Recording Network categorically condemns recent incidents involving civilian self-proclaimed ‘militia’ groups engaging in unlawful acts of violence against refugees and migrants. The Network also expresses profound concern about the intensifying targeting against migrants and refugees in general, amidst the fires raging in Evros.”
Reykjavik Grapevine, 25 AugustIceland: Fabricating A Migrant Crisis
“Using what Agnar learned from the Nazis, he and the Icelandic authorities succeeded in keeping unwanted refugees away from Iceland’s borders for the duration of the war.
This is the foundation on which the current Directorate of Immigration was built. Rooted in white supremacy and racist practices, the directorate has long been the subject of harsh criticism.
Which brings us to today.”
And see: Helsinki could become 'sanctuary city' as Finland's right-wing government targets paperless migrants (euronews, 14 August)
Deutsche Welle, 24 AugustGermany: Refugee arrivals prompt debate over right to asylum
“As increasing numbers of people seek refuge in Germany, some politicians are calling for asylum rights to be watered down. But they are enshrined in the German constitution.”
The Guardian, 23 AugustNiger observers link coup to president’s support for EU migration policies
“Observers have linked Mohamed Bazoum’s support for European Union policies aimed at stifling migration routes through north Africa to his ousting as president of Niger last month.”
Migration Control, 21 AugustPopular resistance to the deportation of Gambians from Germany: What is happening and the way forward
“The forcible removal of illegalised migrants is always a sensitive fact for the individuals and the communities involved. It is even more so when grassroots demonstrations and a limited degree of governmental opposition could not manage to stop this harmful practice. Indeed, after the relative deceleration connected to the impossibility of travelling due to Covid-19, the European Union (EU) has resumed its deportation of undocumented migrants and rejected asylum-seekers to their countries of origin. Among EU Member States, Germany has been at the forefront of deportations of illegalised individuals to West Africa and in particular The Gambia.”
European Ombudsman, 17 AugustAlleged irregularities in the conduct of an EUAA (at that time EASO) expert/member of staff during an interview for the purposes of an application for international protection
The Ombudsman is conducting an inquiry into the conduct of a member of staff of the European Asylum Agency during an asylum interview.
Civil liberties
Investigate Europe, 6 SeptemberMedia freedom: can Brussels agree on landmark law to protect Europe’s increasingly at-risk journalists?
“Mounting restrictions on the press are creating a "desperate situation", warns Věra Jourová, the EU Commissioner behind a new law aimed at safeguarding media pluralism. The Media Freedom Act, set to be voted on in the European Parliament, could provide crucial protections to journalists and trigger a wave of lawsuits against governments which fail to abide by it.”
Bright Green, 3 SeptemberAnti-boycott bill: Palestine Solidarity Campaign hands in petition to Downing Street
“A coalition of campaign groups, led by Palestine Solidarity Campaign, handed in a petition to 10 Downing Street on Thursday calling for the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, to drop the government’s ‘anti-boycott bill’. The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) bill is due to return to parliament in September and seeks to prevent public bodies – including local councils, universities, and public sector pension funds – from deciding how to spend, invest and trade ethically, in line with international law and human rights.”
Access Now, 30 August19 civil society organizations call on US administration to press the UAE to release Ahmed Mansoor ahead of COP 28
“We urge you to call on the UAE government to immediately and unconditionally release Ahmed Mansoor. We urge you to make this call publicly and to raise it in your engagement with UAE officials at the highest levels.”
Law
Irish Legal News, 6 SeptemberIreland urged to bring legal challenge to UK legacy bill
“The Irish government has been urged by human rights campaigners and Northern Ireland politicians to bring the UK government to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) over its controversial legacy bill.
A last-ditch attempt to amend the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, which will end criminal investigations and civil cases linked to the Troubles, was rejected by MPs this afternoon in a 288–205 vote.”
“The applications concern the creation, under French criminal law, of the offence of purchasing sexual relations.
According to the applicants, who engage lawfully in prostitution, the possibility of criminal proceedings being brought against clients pushes those engaged in prostitution into operating in a clandestine manner and in isolation, exposes them to greater risks for their physical integrity and lives, and affects their freedom to define how they live their private lives. They argue that, in consequence, it breaches their rights under Articles 2, 3 and 8 of the Convention.”
Military
The New Arab, 4 SeptemberDomino effect: France's disintegrating influence in Africa
“Analysis: The Gabon coup is the latest in a series of turbulent regime changes in West Africa that have eroded France's diplomatic grip on its former colonies.”
Policing
The Guardian, 6 SeptemberRevealed: undercover UK police officer deceived woman into 19-year relationship
“An undercover police officer used his fake identity to deceive a woman into a 19-year relationship in which they became partners and had a child together, the Guardian can reveal.
The officer concealed his real identity from the woman for the duration of that period, never telling her his real occupation, and using his fictitious identity on the birth certificate of their son.”
El Salto, 6 SeptemberSpain: Sergio, seis años infiltrado en los movimientos sociales madrileños [Sergio, six years of infiltration in Madrid’s social movements]
From 2015 to 2021, the undercover cop Sergio G.A. established relationships of friendship, militancy and work with dozens of persons. In at least two cases, those relationships were sexual.
Bits of Freedom, 6 SeptemberRoyal Netherlands Marechaussee uses social media monitoring to intimidate climate protesters
“Over the summer, 176 people received a letter from the Public Prosecution Service about an Extinction Rebellion demonstration at Schiphol Airport they supposedly attended. In the letter, the prosecution's office warns people against future participation in climate protests, saying next time it will press charges.”
Financial Times, 6 SeptemberUK pulls back from clash with Big Tech over private messaging
“The UK government has conceded it will not use controversial powers in the online safety bill to scan messaging apps for harmful content until it is “technically feasible” to do so, postponing measures that critics say threaten users’ privacy.”
European Commission, 6 SeptemberSecurity: Commission proposes negotiations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway on Passenger Name Record data agreements
“The European Commission has adopted today Recommendations to the Council for the opening of negotiations with Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway for agreements on the transfer of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data.”
OpenDemocracy, 1 SeptemberUK: Police tried to gather information on protesters ahead of arms fair
“A police monitoring group has accused the Metropolitan Police of “desperately” trying to gather information about a protest rights training event ahead of one of the world’s biggest arms fairs.”
The Guardian, 31 AugustPolice in England and Wales guilty of gross misconduct face automatic dismissal
“Police officers found guilty of gross misconduct face automatic dismissal while all staff who fail vetting can be sacked, under new government reforms of the disciplinary system.
The measures are an attempt to restore the public’s faith in policing in the wake of numerous controversies including serving firearms officer Wayne Couzens being convicted of the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard.”
The Intercept, 29 AugustUSA: FBI Hoovering Up DNA at a Pace That Rivals China, Holds 21 Million Samples and Counting
“The FBI has amassed 21.7 million DNA profiles — equivalent to about 7 percent of the U.S. population — according to Bureau data reviewed by The Intercept.”
See also an issue noted in the article: Human DNA can now be pulled from thin air or a footprint on the beach. Here’s what that could mean (CNN, 15 May)
The Guardian, 29 AugustRefugee wins last-minute extradition reprieve after trying to return from holiday
“A refugee who was threatened with extradition when he tried to return to Britain after holidaying in Italy has won a last-minute reprieve.
The Russian man, who has refugee status in the UK, was threatened with extradition to his home country when he tried to return at the end of a week’s holiday in Palermo.”
Security Architectures in the EU, 24 AugustCovert video surveillance in Leipzig: German police secretly looking for antifas
“In at least two cases, police in Saxonia may have monitored building entrances with cameras hidden in parked vehicles. Apparently, these go to the account of the task force “Linx”.”
Netpol, 24 AugustUK: Criminalising dissent: how the police label political protest as a “threat”
“…we now know the SIB [Strategic Intelligence and Briefing Team] is building profiles on so-called “aggravated activists”, although the difficulty is understanding the true extent of this intelligence gathering. We understand how aggravated activism is defined (broadly, as protests involving the breaking of any laws) but not the individuals or groups who are targeted.
The police have refused to say how many fall under this classification and other scraps of information have emerged randomly.”
Reel News, 1 MarchGenova Libera - the story of the infamous 2001 G8 protests (Italian subtitles)
“Made by a London based videoactivist collective that would later become Reel News, 20 years on from the infamous G8 protests - and in response to many requests - Genova Libera is finally available to watch online.”
Prisons
The Guardian, 5 SeptemberGermany refuses to extradite man to UK over concerns about British jail conditions
“A German court has refused to extradite to the UK a man accused of drug trafficking because of concerns about prison conditions in Britain.
The decision has been described as a “severe rebuke” and “an embarrassment for the UK” by a member of the Law Society.”
Racism and discrimination
CJEU, 5 SeptemberDenmark may make the retention of Danish nationality dependent on the existence of a genuine connection with that country
“However, where the person concerned does not hold the nationality of another Member State, so that the loss of Danish nationality would also entail the loss of Union citizenship, he or she must be able to have the proportionality of that loss examined”
InfoMigrants, 4 SeptemberUN racism experts concerned by growing 'hate speech' in Italy
“The UN's Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has warned in its latest report of growing levels of hate speech against immigrants and minorities in Italy, including in the political sphere and in sports.”
EurActiv, 4 SeptemberCyprus police make more arrests as racism-fuelled violence spreads
“Police in Cyprus have made 20 arrests after a spate of racism-fuelled violence against migrants which erupted in the west of the island last week and spread to its southern city of Limassol in a weekend rampage.
Storefronts belonging to migrants in the island’s second city were smashed and Asian delivery drivers assaulted in a string of violent incidents which started on Friday night (1 September) and continued until the early hours of Sunday.”
Le Figaro, 2 SeptemberFrance: Sa demande de naturalisation est refusée car il ne sait pas qui est (entre autres) Édith Cresson
His application for naturalisation was rejected because he did not know who Édith Cresson was (among others)
“He seemed the ideal candidate. But after the interview, his application was denied for "insufficient general knowledge."
El País, 1 SeptemberSpain: Mujer, migrante, mayor y africana: “Parece que ya no existimos, pero estamos y somos muchas”
Female, migrant, older and African: "It seems that we no longer exist, but we are here and there are many of us."
Surveillance
The Intercept, 2 SeptemberU.S. Spy Agency Dreams of Surveillance Underwear It’s Calling “SMART ePANTS”
“The future of wearable technology, beyond now-standard accessories like smartwatches and fitness tracking rings, is ePANTS, according to the intelligence community.
The federal government has shelled out at least $22 million in an effort to develop “smart” clothing that spies on the wearer and its surroundings. Similar to previous moonshot projects funded by military and intelligence agencies, the inspiration may have come from science fiction and superpowers, but the basic applications are on brand for the government: surveillance and data collection.”
Big Brother Watch, 30 AugustUK: Big Brother Watch responds to Government plans to expand facial recognition
“It’s disturbing and deeply undemocratic that the Government is planning to expand facial recognition surveillance in the UK. This is an Orwellian mass surveillance tool rarely seen outside of Russia and China and has absolutely no place in Britain. The Government has no mandate at all to do this and the fact that the rest of the democratic world is legislating to ban live facial recognition surveillance shows just how backwards the Home Office’s approach to this is.”
And see: IBM promised to back off facial recognition — then it signed a $69.8 million contract to provide it (The Verge, 31 August): “IBM signed a $69.8 million (£54.7 million) contract with the British government to develop a national biometrics platform that will offer a facial recognition function to immigration and law enforcement officials”
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