15 January 2022
UN
UK Borders Bill increases risks of discrimination, human rights violations
A new bill being debated by lawmakers in the United Kingdom increases the risk of discrimination and “serious human rights violations” and breaches the country's obligations under international law, five independent UN human rights experts said on Friday.
If adopted, the Nationality and Borders Bill would “seriously undermine the protection of the human rights of trafficked persons, including children; increase risks of exploitation faced by all migrants and asylum seekers; and lead to serious human rights violations”, Siobhán Mullally, the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, said in a statement.
‘Prompt, independent, impartial investigations’ needed in Kazakhstan: UN rights office
Close to 10,000 people are now estimated to be held in detention following the riots. "We understand that the Ministry of Interior has announced that some 9,900 people are in detention as of the 11th of January. Now, this is clearly a huge number," said OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell, briefing reporters at the United Nations in Geneva (UNOG).
‘Terrorism’ charge wrongly applied
Misuse of the word “terrorism” undermines the security of all, and “cheapens” this term which has a specific meaning in international law, the statement continued, according to UN independent human rights experts.
UN chief: ‘We are in a race against time to help the Afghan people’
Describing a “nightmare unfolding in Afghanistan”, the United Nations’ Secretary-General, António Guterres, warned on Thursday that the world is “in a race against time to help the Afghan people.”
Just two days ago, the United Nations launched its largest-ever humanitarian appeal for a single country, requiring more than $5 billion this year.
Speaking to journalists in New York, the UN chief said the scale of the appeal “reflects the scale of the despair.”
INTERPOL
Operation Flycatcher: disrupting Sri Lanka’s terrorist networks
Suspected terrorists and foreign fighters among arrests during INTERPOL-coordinated operation
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Boosting the ability of frontline border officers to detect travelers as potential terrorists was the focus of a counter- terrorism (CT) and border management operation led by INTERPOL across Sri Lanka.
Europol
Europol’s Statement on the Decision of the European Data Protection Supervisor
Committed to the highest standards of data protection, Europol first reached out proactively to the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) on 1 of April 2019 to seek guidance on the processing of large and complex datasets which are collected in lawful, judicial investigations. Europol is increasingly receiving from its Member States datasets to help with their processing and analysis.
Since then, Europol has followed the guidance given by the EDPS and has kept its Management Board updated on the progress achieved.
24 arrested for smuggling migrants, drugs and stolen goods across the Mediterranean
The suspects smuggled goods and people in and out of Europe and exploited every opportunity to maximise profits
Officers from the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional), supported by Europol, dismantled an organised crime group involved in property crime, facilitation of illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
Over 1 530 firearms taken off the streets in Europol-coordinated operation
A total of 1 534 firearms have been seized in an international law enforcement operation targeting the illegal trade of converted alarm and gas weapons. These blank firing pistols have become a weapon of choice for criminals as they can easily be converted to discharge live ammunition. Such a firearm is believed to have been used to kill the Dutch crime reporter shot in Amsterdam in July of last year.