From: Statewatch
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: 20/01/2005 12:06
Subject: Statewatch News Online, 20 January 2005 (02/05)
Statewatch News Online, 20 January 2005 (02/05)
Full contents see: http://www.statewatch.org/news
1. EU: Commission publishes proposal on Visa Information System (VIS)
2. UK: Home Secretary seeking to deport some held in Belmarsh prison
3. Spain: Figures on anti-terrorist operations released
4. UK: Home Affairs Select Committee: report on the Rehabiliation of
Prisoners
5. EU: Green Paper an EU approach to managing economic migration
6. UK: Genewatch report on: Police DNA database
7. European Parliament re-elect European Ombudsman
8. UK: Special Immigration Appeals Commission website
9. Spain: Migrants death toll surges
10. Commission: Strategic Partnership with UNHCR
11. German car salesman says that a year ago he was kidnapped
12. US: National Intelligence Council assessment on Iraq and terrorism
13. UK: Home Office: Stop and Search Action Team
14. Norway: Unregistered phone ban urged
1. EU: COMMISSION PUBLISHES VISA INFORMATION SYSTEM PROPOSAL
The European Commission has published its proposal for a:
1. Visa Information System (VIS - COM (2004) 835):
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/jan/vis-com-835.pdf
2. Extended impact assessment (VIS):
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/jan/vis-com-835-ia.pdf
3. Study for the extended impact assessment (VIS):
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/jan/vis-com-835-study.pdf
This is seen by some, but not all, EU member states as alternative to
the a
biometric visa sticker scheme: EU: Biometric visa policy unworkable -
Council Presidency recommending current proposal be abandoned due to
"collision" of chips and Commission asked to amend its proposal:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/jan/02update-visas-biometrics.htm
2. UK: HOME SECRETARY SEEKING AGREEMENTS TO DEPORT SOME MEN FROM
BELMARSH
UK: Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, is seeking to negotiate agreements
so
that some Belmarsh detainees could be deported:
BBC report (link): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4186457.stm
The Home Secretary told the Times newspaper that following the law lords
judgement in December - which declared their detention unlawful - that
he
and the Foreign Secretary were seeking to get "memorandum of
understandings" that people would not be subject to torture or the death
penalty on their return. However, he admitted that this could only
partially meet the law lords ruling. The 12 men affected by the law
lords
ruling are from algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan
Law Lords judgement: Full-text of judgement:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2004/dec/belmarsh-appeal.pdf
Whether Egypt for one will agree is an open question having refused to
agree to such terms last year, see: Statewatch Special Report: UK:
Egyptian
national "unlawfully detained" after intervention by Prime Minister
(16.11.04): http://www.statewatch.org/news/2004/nov/03blair.htm
3. SPAIN: Figures on anti-terrorist operations released:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/jan/04spain-terrorism.htm
4. UK: Home Affairs Select Committee: report on The Rehabiliation of
Prisoners:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/jan/hoc-rehab-pris-pdf.pdf
5. EU: European Commission: Green Paper an EU approach to managing
economic
migration:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/jan/com-gnpaper-legal-imm.pdf
6. UK: Genewatch report on: Police DNA database needs stronger
safeguards
for privacy and human rights:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/jan/genewatch-dna-dabase.pdf
and Press release and Briefings for MPs:
http://www.genewatch.org/HumanGen/Publications/MP_Briefs/MPbrief_5.pdf
See also: UK: Police can keep DNA of innocent people indefinitely:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2004/sep/03uk-dna-database.htm
7. The European Parliament has voted to re-elect P. Nikiforos
Diamandouros
as European Ombudsman with 564 votes out of a total of 643 votes cast.
Mr
Diamandouros said, "I look forward to continuing to serve EU citizens
diligently, dynamically, effectively and, most importantly, fairly and
impartially.": Statement to the Petitions Committee (pdf):
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/jan/ombudsman-statement.pdf
8. UK: Special Immigration Appeals Commission new website contains the
"Outcomes" of their decisions with some detail on each (link):
http://www.courtservice.gov.uk/judgments/siac/outcomes.htm
9. Spain: Migrants death toll surges (Guardian, link):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0%2C%2C1383980%2C00.html
See also: "Nothing is true, nor is it a lie?" by Nieves Garcia Benito. A
powerful and moving essay on the indifference of Europe to dead migrants
whose lives end on Spain's beaches (Special report): "Nothing is true,
nor
is it a lie?": http://www.statewatch.org/news/2003/jul/21spain.htm
NEWS IN BRIEF
10. European Commission: Communication to members of the Commission:
Memorandum concerning the establishment of a Strategic Partnership
between
the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the
Commission of the European Communities in the field of protection and
assistance to refugees and other people of concern to the UNHCR in third
countries (pdf - this will not be published in the Official Journal):
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/jan/com-unhcr.pdf
11. "They beat me from all sides": A German car salesman says that a
year
ago he was kidnapped in Europe, beaten and flown to a US-controlled jail
in
Afghanistan. Now the German government is collecting evidence to back up
his story. James Meek hears Khaled el-Masri's account of life in
America's
secret offshore prison network (Guardian, link):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0%2C3858%2C5103186-103680%2C00.html
12. US: National Intelligence Council assessment on Iraq and terrorism
(link): http://www.cia.gov/nic/NIC_globaltrend2020_s4.html#trans
13. UK: Home Office: Stop and Search Action Team - Guidance:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/jan/uk-stopsearchguidance2004.pdf
Stop and Search Action Team - Strategy 2004-5:
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2005/jan/uk-stopsearchpolicy2004.pdf
(thanks to PI)
14. Norway: Unregistered phone ban urged (link, Aftenposten):
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article555243.ece
BOOKMARK
News online - full contents:
http://www.statewatch.org/news
What's New on the Statewatch site:
http://www.statewatch.org/whatsnew.htm
Statewatch European Monitor:
http://www.statewatch.org/monitor/monitor.html
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