Advocating for Refugee Data Rights: A Call for Safety and Security

In light of recent developments surrounding the EU’s EURODAC database, the urgent need for robust data rights for refugees has never been clearer. As civil society organizations raise alarms about the expansion of this database, which is increasingly being used as a surveillance tool rather than a protective measure, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of data rights in ensuring the safety and security of vulnerable populations.

News Highlights: Clashes kill 50 civilians in Oromia, SAF/RSF negotiations suspended, Trilogue discussions over EU Asylum Pact

In this week’s News Highlights: Negotiations between SAF and RSF indefinitely suspended; UN Security Council terminates UNITAMS; US determines war crimes, ethnic cleansing committed in Sudan; Sudan conflict continues as peace negotiations fail; Humanitarian and commercial convoys in North Darfur … Continued

“A powerful tool of mass surveillance”: NGOs warn that proposed Eurodac reforms will fundamentally undermine the rights of migrants and refugees

33 NGOs, including EEPA, addressed an open letter to the Members of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament, expressing concern regarding the amended proposal to revise the Eurodac Regulation. Eurodac is a database that records fingerprints of asylum seekers entering the European Union (EU). The amendment, formulated by the European Commission and published in September 2020, extends the database to include more biometric data, including of minors. The NGOs warn about the risk of erosion of the fundamental rights of migrants and asylum seekers that could result from this extension.