WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE Uk uk United Kingdom - STATEWATCH - issue 25/14 26 September 2025.

 

issue 25/14 26 September Vacancy: Executive Director Are you passionate about human rights? Have experience fostering a collaborative and effective team? Have expertise in journalism, law, or policy-making? Or—do you know someone who is? If any of this sounds like you, we hope you apply. And if it sounds like someone who could be in your network, please help us find them by sharing widely.  Applications close 6 October 2025. Apply now >> Share on LinkedIn >> welcome Dear Statewatcher, At the annual ‘State of the EU’ speech earlier this month, Ursula von der Leyen called for the swift approval of a proposed deportation law. In fact, as a statement we signed this month highlights, it would be best to agree to reject it. The law is unlikely to achieve its stated aim of increasing the number of people deported from the EU. What it will do is: allow offshore detention camps; enable deportations to countries with which people have no connection; slash rights and safeguards; and extend digital surveillance and monitoring. All this will make life immeasurably worse for thousands of people subject to immigration control measures. There is another, unspoken aim: placating extreme right. Some figureheads of this group gathered in London two weeks ago for the largest far-right demonstration this country has ever seen. Speaking alongside Tommy Robinson (real name: Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) at the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally were Eric Zemmour (Reconquête, France), Petr Bystron (Alternativ für Deutschland) and Eva Vlaardingerbroek (a Dutch far-right activist). From across the Atlantic, Elon Musk made an appearance. The EU’s new deportation law needs to be withdrawn. But it is a symptom of a deeper malaise. More fundamentally, as our friends at the Institute of Race Relations have put it, we need “a massive surge in anti-racism – starting at a local level.” Chris Jones Director, Statewatch make a donation in EUR >> make a donation GBP >> news More profiling and surveillance under new EU anti-money laundering rules Last year, the EU adopted new rules against money laundering and terrorist financing, which will come into force in July 2027. Dutch non-governmental organisation Privacy First is calling for safeguards to prevent unchecked surveillance, monitoring and profiling. read more >> EU wants to deport people to countries with which they have no connection A German diplomatic cable obtained by Statewatch shows that 13 member states would like to be able to deport people to any country they wish – even if the person has no connection to it.  read more >> Document: Trends and dynamics in international right-wing extremism and terrorism A note from the document says: "Transnational links between foreign VRWE groups are increasing, with the phenomenon of accelerationism posing the most concerning threat." read more >> EU deportation law must be rejected The proposed law, which was published in March this year, would facilitate massive rights violations. It includes provisions for offshore deportation centres, the elimination of safeguards and increased detention periods, amongst other things. 300 organisations have signed a statement against it. read more >> what we're watching This is our bi-weekly round up of all the important news, events, and resources we've come across over the last two weeks. Find this resource useful? If so, please consider making a donation to support us. borders and frontiers Greece’s expansive refugee deportation law tests limits of rights in EU Greece has drawn criticism and concern from rights groups and a United Nations office after passing what it considers to be the European Union’s strictest refugee deportation policy earlier this month. Read more European Parliament scolds EU asylum agency over reports of mismanagement Reports of favoritism and mismanagement at the EU asylum agency drew a reprimand and a set of recommendations from the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee on Wednesday. Read more How Bulgaria is quietly disposing of its Syrian refugees Bulgarian authorities are pressuring and coercing Syrian asylum seekers to return home, part of a wider European shift that began before the fall of the Assad regime last December, but has accelerated since. Read more Technology is Turning Immigration Detention into an Invisible Leash The article publishes the finding of a report on the rise of digital technologies in immigration enforcement like ankle monitors, GPS-enabled watches, and biometric reporting apps, tools marketed by some countries as so-called “alternatives to detention” when in reality they are alternate forms of detention. Read more Migrants in Libya discussed by African Union, the European Union and the United Nations They affirmed their support for the United Nations roadmap to revive the political process in Libya and reiterated their commitment to address migration in line with international humanitarian and human rights standards, including through the African Union-European Union-United Nations Tripartite Task Force on the Situation of Migrants and Refugees in Libya. Read more Albert Buttigieg condemns deportation of three Ethiopian men after 18 years in Malta Nationalist Party MP Albert Buttigieg delivered a scathing parliamentary address this week, accusing the Labour government of employing “two weights and two measures” in its treatment of asylum seekers whilst simultaneously exploiting foreign workers in what he described as “modern-day slavery.” Read more External article or report title Before adding the article summary, first count how many need to be included in each section. Using the Duplicate feature, create the number of article spaces required. To do this, click the side of an existing article template and select Duplicate until you have the necessary capacity.   Do not manually drag and drop a new article box, as this will break the formatting. Read more. External article or report title Before adding the article summary, first count how many need to be included in each section. Using the Duplicate feature, create the number of article spaces required. To do this, click the side of an existing article template and select Duplicate until you have the necessary capacity.   Do not manually drag and drop a new article box, as this will break the formatting. Read more. “They hit us and watched us drown” French police cause dozens of drownings with violent tactics against small boats trying to reach overseas territory Mayotte. Similar tactics are being proposed for the Channel. Read more EU border security tech tested in Finland On 1-3 September 2025, a Joint Demonstration Event showcasing the latest European Innovation on Border Surveillance took place in Turku, Finland. The prototypes shown spanned from drones and artificial intelligence platforms to advanced data fusion systems, digital twins, next-generation sensors, and autonomous maritime vessels. Read more Luxembourg files EU complaint over continued German border checks Luxembourg has lodged another complaint with the European Commission against the extension of German border checks, as the government in Berlin plans to keep enhanced controls in place for a further six months. Read more At least 50 dead after vessel carrying Sudanese refugees catches fire off Libya The Mediterranean remains one of the world’s deadliest migration routes. At least 2,452 people were reported dead or missing in the region last year, according to IOM data. Read more Rakusan: The solution to migration in the EU requires more than a pact; return centers are also needed The migration pact is not a perfect solution according to the Czech minister. Countries should build so-called return hubs for refugees, possibly even outside the territory of the European Union. They should ensure quick and efficient returns. Read more Ghana agrees to accept West Africans deported from US President John Mahama said nationals from various West African countries would now be taken in following a bilateral agreement with the US. He said 14 had already arrived. Read more Abandoned at Sea: Palestinians Forced Back from Greece In Life Raft Due to weather conditions around Farmakonisi, the Greek Coast Guard transported the group over 35 nautical miles before abandoning them at sea outside Bodrum. This was not accidental — it was calculated. Read more coercion and control EU and Ecuador signed an international agreement to fight serious crime The new agreement enables Europol and Ecuador to improve the exchange of information, including personal data. The agreement guarantees a high level of protection of fundamental rights, including through strong data protection safeguards. Read more USA: Trump issues promised ‘terrorist organization’ designation for antifa President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday designating antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, formalizing his threatened attacks on political rivals and paving the way for a government crackdown on left-wing opponents. Read more USA: Executive Order: Designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization Individuals associated with and acting on behalf of Antifa further coordinate with other organizations and entities for the purpose of spreading, fomenting, and advancing political violence and suppressing lawful political speech. This organized effort designed to achieve policy objectives by coercion and intimidation is domestic terrorism. Read more crime and collusion MEP invited genocide-linked militiamen to talk peace in European Parliament A German lawmaker inadvertently invited to the European Parliament two members of a Sudanese paramilitary group accused of being responsible for burying people alive, mass rape and murdering thousands of civilians. Read more France: Former French president Sarkozy given five-year sentence after Libya case Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in jail after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case related to millions of euros of illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. Read more UK: Neil Kinnock says Palestine Action are not terrorists in split with Starmer The former leader of the UK’s Labour party Neil Kinnock has condemned Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s proscription of Palestine Action, in rare criticism of his ally and successor. Read more President of Colombia says legalizing cocaine would prevent destruction of the Amazon “If cocaine were legalized worldwide, there would be no destruction of the Amazon rainforest. This is a matter of debate. Latin America should also discuss it without fear, without embarrassment, without shame, because it’s as if we were criminals bowing our heads to a policy made in New York, a failed policy,” he criticized. Read more SOS MEDITERRANEE “determined to bring every responsible party to justice” over armed attack on Ocean Viking SOS MEDITERRANEE today announced that it has filed a criminal proceeding before Italian prosecutors – who have already opened an investigation – following the armed attack against the rescue ship Ocean Viking by the Libyan Coast Guard on 24 August. Read more discrimination and racism Netherlands: Anti-immigration protest planned in Amsterdam's Dam Square on October 12 The announcement also reads “NO to asylum shelters” and “Enough is enough.” These slogans were also chanted on Saturday during the anti-asylum protest at the Malieveld in The Hague, which escalated to violent riots. The counter-terrorism agency NCTV warned that the riots were a sign that right-wing extremism was becoming normalized in the Netherlands. Read more Political violence, not hooligans: D66 leader Six minors were among the people arrested during violent riots in The Hague on Saturday, chief commissioner Karin Krukkert of The Hague Police, told Nieuwsuur. According to Krukkert, a collection of football hooligans and members of far-right groups quickly turned the anti-immigration protest violent. Read more EU: Does the EPP really vote with the far right? 5 things we learned from the data. One year after the 2024 election bolstered right-wing forces in the European Parliament, POLITICO’s data shows that they don’t team up often — but win when they do. Read more US cash turned Tommy Robinson into the poster boy of UK far right Money from one man – US tech billionaire Robert Shillman – ties Robinson to a Who’s Who of far-right influencers with millions of followers online. Among them was US conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was murdered in Utah last week. Read more peace and war  USA: Proposed war authorization could allow Trump to target 60+ countries Although an official version of the proposal has yet to be released, publicly available information suggests that it could be used to justify U.S. military intervention in at least 60 countries. Read more Military spending surge is critical threat to climate Spending on the world’s militaries is climbing rapidly. Dr Stuart Parkinson summarises SGR's major new report examining how this rise is affecting carbon emissions. Read more In boat strike, Trump repurposes ‘war on terror’ for Latin American crime In the days following its deadly attack on a vessel allegedly transporting Venezuelan drug smugglers through international waters, the administration of US President Donald Trump sent a unified message: The United States will not hesitate to strike so-called “narco terrorists”. Read more resistance and solidarity Italy, Spain send navy ships to protect Gaza flotilla after drone attacks Italy said on Thursday that it is sending a second ship, while Spain said its navy will also act. Rome dispatched a frigate the previous day following a drone attack on the GSF in international waters after it came under drone attack en route to Gaza to deliver aid. Read more European Parliament snubs Orbán with vote to shield Italian MEP from Hungarian arrest The European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) voted Tuesday against lifting the immunity of left-wing Italian MEP Ilaria Salis, arguing that she would not get a fair trial in Viktor Orbán’s Hungary. Read more British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah freed from prison Writer, who has served six years for sharing a Facebook post, was given a presidential pardon Read more European Parliament snubs Orbán with vote to shield Italian MEP from Hungarian arrest Salis, 41, was arrested in February 2023 in Budapest, charged with attempted assault on a far-right activist and accused of belonging to an extreme left-wing group. She spent more than a year in jail in Hungary before being elected to the Parliament with Italy’s Greens and Left Alliance. Read more Recognition Tests A German IT-security expert has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), alleging that his police photographs were used unlawfully to test facial recognition systems. Read more Upholding Not Undermining International Law: Civil Society Open Letter to States The 268 faith-based, non-governmental, and other civil society organizations listed below call on UN Member States to uphold, preserve, strengthen, and celebrate international refugee, human rights, and humanitarian treaties and reject efforts to undo or undermine legal norms. Read more UK: New independent anti-racist reporting and monitoring organisation set up Former Tribune editor and award-winning writer Taj Ali has set up an independent anti-racist reporting and monitoring organisation to document racist attacks, support victims, pressure authorities to act, and amplify the voices of smaller, more isolated Black and Asian communities across Britain. Read more surveillance and snooping Spyware industry pockets EU subsidies while snooping on its citizens The widespread use of commercial spyware for unlawful surveillance across Europe has raised alarm – but the funding of such tools has largely gone under the radar. Follow the Money can reveal how millions in EU subsidies and taxpayer money in member states are supporting an industry criticised for undermining democracy and freedom of speech. Read more Germany: Baden-Württemberg wants to lower hurdles for video surveillance For seven years, video surveillance with automated behavioral detection has been tested in Mannheim. Now Baden-Württemberg wants to lower the hurdles for the installation of cameras. The constitutional protection should be allowed to access private recordings in the future. Read more New dark web portal launched to recruit spies to support UK security Outgoing Chief of MI6, Sir Richard Moore, announces new platform - Silent Courier - will make it easier for MI6 to recruit agents online. Read more UK: Lawyer who brought Hamas case claims he was unlawfully detained by police A lawyer who filed Hamas’s challenge to proscription claims he was unlawfully detained under the Terrorism Act, with his phone containing legally privileged information examined because of his client. Read more UK: MI5 admits it ‘illegally’ obtained data from ex-BBC journalist The National Union of Journalists has expressed its grave concern and called for an independent investigation into the surveillance of journalists after MI5 admitted to illegally obtaining communications data from the mobile phone of former BBC journalist Vincent Kearney. Read more Draghi calls for pause to AI Act to gauge risks “But the next stage—covering high-risk AI systems in areas like critical infrastructure and health—must be proportionate and support innovation and development. In my view, implementation of this stage should be paused until we better understand the drawbacks,” said Mario Draghi, an Italian politician who does not currently hold any formal legislative or executive role. Read more USA: Google Secretly Handed ICE Data About Pro-Palestine Student Activist Google handed over Gmail account information to ICE before notifying the student or giving him an opportunity to challenge the subpoena. Read more In France, the eternal return of facial recognition Last May, the French government launched a working group aimed at legalizing real-time facial recognition. Far from being a surprise, this announcement is part of a series of proposals put forward by state officials, along with industrial and scientific players. 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