New report: Data Protection, Immigration Enforcement and Fundamental Rights: What the EU’s Regulations on Interoperability Mean for People with Irregular Status

Summary:

This paper examines the EU's justice and home affairs databases and information systems, the changes that have been introduced by recent legislation seeking to make those systems 'interoperable' and the potential implications of those changes for fundamental rights, in particular in relation to undocumented migrants. Notwithstanding concerns over the necessity and proportionality of the interoperability initiative as a whole, the new rules lack the necessary safeguards to protect people from the arbitrary, unjustified or excessive exercise of state power. With key details left to national government decisions, closely monitoring the implementation of these rules will be crucial to uphold the rights of undocumented migrants and other parts of the population.

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