<nettime> EU databases on protestors and "foreigners"

[statewatch-news@statewatch.pipal.net]

STATEWATCH, Press release, 3 December 2001

Special report on: 
<http://www.statewatch.org/news/2001/nov/19sis.htm>

EU plans to extend the Schengen Information System (SIS) to:

i) create EU database to target "suspected" protestors and bar them from
entering a country where a protest is planned

ii) create EU database of all "foreigners" to remove third country
nationals who have not left within the "prescribed time frame"

The Council of the European Union (the 15 EU governments) are discussing
plans to create two new dedicated databases on the Schengen Information
System (SIS). The first database would cover public order and protests and
lead to: "Barring potentially dangerous persons from participating in
certain events [where the person is] notoriously known by the police
forces for having committed recognised facts of public order disturbance"

"Targeted" suspects would be tagged with an "alert" on the SIS and barred
from entry the country where the protest or event was taking place.

The second database would be a register of all third country nationals in
the EU who will be tagged with an "alert" if they overstay their visa or
residence permit - this follows a call by the German government for the
creation of a "centralised register".

Both of these new databases are being put forward under the post- 11
September "Anti-terrorism roadmap" (item 45 on the version of 15.11.01, to
"Improve input of alerts into the SIS").

Tony Bunyan, editor of Statewatch, commented:

"Under the post 11 September EU anti-terrorism plans we have the
frightening prospect that details of suspected protestors and dissenters
will be held by the Schengen Information System on one centralised,
computerised EU-wide database and all "foreigners" held on another – and
both are to be the subject of "targeted" action and/or surveillance.
Protestors and "foreigners"  are to be targeted as presenting primary
"threats" to the internal security of the EU."

see: <http://www.statewatch.org/news/2001/nov/19sis.htm>

for full background analysis and documentation on post 11 September
developments which affects civil liberties please see:  
<http://www.statewatch.org/observatory2.htm>

For further information: Statewatch office: (00 44) (0) 208 802 1882

Tony Bunyan will be taking part in Press Conference in Brussels on Monday
3 December, 14.00 hours, at Centre de presse Résidence Palace, Rue de la
Loi 155 1040 Bruxelles: "Les droits démocratiques ne doivent pas devenir
les dommages collatéraux de la guerre contre le terrorisme": Jan FERMON,
avocat au barreau de Bruxelles, Antoine COMTE, avocat au barreau de Paris,
Ties PRAKKEN, avocat au barreau d'Amsterdam, professeur de droit pénal à
l'université de Maastricht. Contact : Jan FERMON, 00 32 4 754 41896.


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Statewatch, PO BOX 1516, London. N16 0EW. UK
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