EU asylum fingerprint database and police access
Basic rights thrown out the window in EP vote on EURODAC
Controversial proposals to allow law enforcement authorities access to the EU's EURODAC database of asylum applicants fingerprints were today approved by the EP's civil liberties committee. Commenting after the vote, Green migration and civil liberties spokesperson Ska Keller (MEP, Germany) stated:
"Allowing law enforcement authorities access to the EURODAC fingerprint database would seriously undermine the basic rights of asylum seekers. The move raises major privacy and data protection concerns, with data protection authorities and the UNHCR having expressed their opposition to the proposals.
"MEPs on the civil liberties committee have today voted to ignore these concerns and throw basic rights out the window by endorsing the plans. This populist move is based on the odious presumption that all those coming to the EU to seek protection from persecution are under suspicion as potential criminals.
"EURODAC was created to enable immigration authorities to identify asylum seekers, with a view to avoiding double applications. Allowing police authorities to access the data for a totally different purpose - to combat crime and terrorism - flies in the face of data protection."
