[Nettime-bold] 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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