{"id":5222,"date":"2023-12-04T07:56:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T07:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hardcore-hodgkin.138-201-31-57.plesk.page\/?p=5222"},"modified":"2024-08-07T08:00:07","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T08:00:07","slug":"2223-europe-s-digital-borders-must-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/news\/item\/2223-europe-s-digital-borders-must-fall\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe\u2019s (digital) borders must fall"},"content":{"rendered":"

End the expansion of the EU\u2019s EURODAC database<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Civil society calls for an end to the expansion of EURODAC, the EU database for the registration<\/em>
of asylum-seekers. EURODAC, designed to collect and store migrants\u2019 data, is being<\/em>
transformed into an expansive, violent surveillance tool that will treat people seeking protection<\/em>
as crime suspects This will include children as young as 6 whose fingerprints and facial images<\/em>
will be integrated into the database.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n


EURODAC is being expanded to enforce the EU\u2019s discriminatory and hostile asylum and migration
policies: increasing deportations, detention and a broader climate of racialised criminalisation.
The endless expansion of EURODAC must be stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


What is EURODAC?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Since its inception in 2003, the EU has repeatedly expanded the scope, size and function of
EURODAC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Created to implement the Dublin system and record the country responsible for processing
asylum claims, it originally stored only limited information, mostly fingerprints, on few categories
of people: asylum-seekers and people apprehended irregularly crossing the EU\u2019s borders. From
the start, this system has been a means to enforce a discriminatory and harmful deportation
regime, premised on a false framework of \u2018illegality\u2019 in migration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


After a first reform in 2013 allowing police to access the database, the EU continues to detach
EURODAC from its asylum framework to re-package it as a system pursuing \u2018wider immigration
purposes\u2019. The changes were announced in 2020 in the EU Migration Pact, the EU’s so-called
\u2018fresh start on migration\u2019. Rather than a fresh start, the proposals contain the harshest proposals
in the history of the EU’s migration policy: more detention, more violence, and a wider, evolved
tool of surveillance in the EURODAC database to track, push back and deport \u2018irregular\u2019 migrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


How is the EURODAC expansion endangering people\u2019s human rights?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


More people included into the database:<\/strong> Concretely EURODAC would collect a vast swathe of
personal data (photographs, copies of travel and identity documents, etc.) on a wider range of
people: those resettled, relocated, disembarked following search and rescue operations and
arrested at borders or within national territories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Data collection on children:<\/strong> The reform would also lower the threshold for storing data in the
system to the age of six, extend the data retention periods and weaken the conditions for law
enforcement consultation of the database.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Including facial images into the database:<\/strong> The reform also proposes the expansion to include
facial images. Comparisons and searches run in the database can be based on facial recognition
\u2013 a technology notoriously error-prone and unreliable that threatens the essence of dignity, nondiscrimination
and privacy rights. The database functions as a genuine tool of violence as it
authorises the use of coercion against asylum-seekers who refuse to give up their data, such as
detention and forced collection. Not only do these changes contradict European data protection
standards, they demonstrate how the EU\u2019s institutional racism creates differential standards
between migrants and non-migrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Access by law enforcement:<\/strong> EURODAC\u2019s revamp also facilitates its connection to other existing
EU migration and police databases as part of the so-called \u2018interoperability\u2019 initiative – the
creation of an overarching EU information system designed to increase police identity checks of
non-EU nationals, leading to increased racial profiling. These measures also unjustly equate
asylum seekers with criminals. Lastly, the production of statistics from EURODAC data and other
databases is supposed to inform future policymaking on migration movement trends. In reality, it
is expected that they will facilitate illegal pushbacks and overpolicing of humanitarian
assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


End the expansion of EURODAC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


The EURODAC reform is a gross violation of the right to seek international protection, a chilling
conflation of migration and criminality and an out-of-control surveillance instrument. The farright
is already anticipating the next step, calling for the collection of DNA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The EURODAC reform is one of many examples of the digitalisation of Fortress Europe. It is
inconsistent with fundamental rights and will undermine frameworks of protection and rights of
people on the move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


We demand:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. That the EU institutions immediately reject the expansion of EURODAC.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. For legislators to prevent further violence and ensure protection at and within borders when
    rethinking the EURODAC system.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. For legislators and EU Member States to establish safe and regular pathways for migrants and
    protective reception conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    1. AG Nachhaltige Digitalisierung
    2. Abolish Frontex
    3. Access Now
    4. Africa Solidarity Centre Ireland
    5. AlgoRace\/University of C\u00f3rdoba
    6. AlgorithmWatch
    7. \u00c0ltera
    8. Asociaci\u00f3n Por Ti Mujer
    9. Asociaci\u00f3n Rumi\u00f1ahui
    10. Association for Legal Intervention (Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej)
    11. AsyLex
    12. Bits of Freedom
    13. Blindspots
    14. B\u00fcrgerrechte & Polizei\/CILIP
    15. CNCD-11.11.11
    16. CNVOS Slovenia
    17. Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP)
    18. Center for Information Technology and Development
    19. Centre for Muslims’ Rights in Denmark – CEDA
    20. Centre for Peace Studies
    21. Civil Liberties Union for Europe
    22. Coalizione Italiana per le Libert\u00e0 e i Diritti civili (CILD)
    23. D64
    24. Danes je nov dan, In\u0161titut za druga vpra\u0161anja
    25. Derechos Digitales
    26. Digitalcourage
    27. Digitale Gesellschaft
    28. Dru\u0161tvo Parada ponosa (Ljubljana Pride Association)
    29. European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN)
    30. Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice
    31. Equipo Decenio Afrodescendiente- Espa\u00f1a
    32. epicenter.works
    33. EuroMed Rights
    34. European Civic Forum
    35. European Digital Rights (EDRi)
    36. European Movement Italy
    37. European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
    38. European Sex Workers Rights Alliance (ESWA)
    39. Fundaci\u00f3n CIVES
    40. Fundacja Centrum Bada\u0144 Migracyjnych
    41. Greek Council for Refugees (GCR)
    42. Greek Forum of Migrants
    43. Greek Forum of Refugees
    44. Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
    45. Hermes Center for Transparency and Digital Human Rights
    46. Homo Digitalis
    47. Homo Faber Association
    48. I Have Rights
    49. IDAY Liberia Coalition Inc.
    50. Infokolpa
    51. info.nodes
    52. Initiative Center to Support Social Action “Ednannia”
    53. Institucion De Asuntos Culturales De Espa\u00f1a
    54. Institute Circle
    55. Institute Circle
    56. International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims
    57. International Women* Space
    58. Ir\u00eddia – Centre per la defensa dels drets humans
    59. IT-Pol Denmark
    60. Ivorian Community of Greece
    61. KD Gmajna
    62. KOK German NGO Network against trafficking in Human Beings
    63. Kif Kif vzw
    64. LDH – Ligue des droits de l’Homme France
    65. La Strada International
    66. Lafede.cat – Organitzacions per a la Just\u00edcia Global
    67. Legal Centre Lesvos
    68. Ligue alg\u00e9rienne pour la d\u00e9fense des droits de l’homme
    69. Ligue des droits humains (Belgium)
    70. Maison du Peuple d’Europe
    71. Mobile Info Team
    72. Naga
    73. National Federation of Polish NGOs (OFOP)
    74. New Europeans International
    75. Northern Lights Aid
    76. Novact
    77. Novact
    78. Open Knowledge Foundation Germany
    79. PIC – Legal Center for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
    80. Peace Institute
    81. Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM)
    82. Polish Migration Forum Foundation (Fundacja Polskie Forum Migracyjne)
    83. Polish Women’s Strike
    84. Politiscope
    85. Privacy International
    86. Privacy Network
    87. Prostitution Information Center
    88. Quaker Council for European Affairs
    89. Queen Mary University of London
    90. RED AMINVI
    91. Racism and Technology Center
    92. Red Umbrella Sweden
    93. Refugee Law Lab, York University
    94. Refugee Legal Support (RLS)
    95. Revibra Europe
    96. SOLIDAR & SOLIDAR Foundation
    97. Samos Volunteers
    98. Sans-Papiers Anlaufstelle Z\u00fcrich SPAZ
    99. Sea-Watch e.V.
    100. Siempre vzw\/asbl
    101. Statewatch
    102. Stichting LOS
    103. Stop Wapenhandel
    104. Stowarzyszenie Port, Przestrze\u0144 otwarta
    105. Taraaz
    106. The Border Violence Monitoring Network
    107. Waterford Integration Services
    108. Yoga and Sport with Refugees
    109. Zavod za kulturo raznolikosti Open<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    End the expansion of the EU\u2019s EURODAC database<\/p>\n

    Civil society calls for an end to the expansion of EURODAC…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4949,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-releases","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5222"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5223,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5222\/revisions\/5223"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}