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Deutsch: Unschuldige Reisende werden mittels PNR überprüft und zu Verdächtig...
It has recently been revealed that UK Police secretly investigated the PNR (Passenger Name Records) data of 47 000 innocent people having travelled in and out of UK in 2009.
Checks included scrutiny of the police national computer, financial records and analysis of "known associates" related to travellers including information on their family and friends before being cleared for travel. All the data passengers give to travel agents, including home address, phone numbers, email address, passport details and the names of family members, can be shared with Government agencies all over the world for analysis and stored for up to ten years.
The information is used by the police to issue 14 000 intelligence reports on travellers, for future use. "Red flags" can mark travellers as potential terrorists based on information such as ordering a vegetarian meal, travelling with a spouse of foreign birth, asking for an over-wing seat, buying a one-way ticket and making a last-minute reservation. Travelling to the Middle East, Pakistan, Afghanistan or Iran can also bring about a red flag.
After the investigation of a total of 48 682 people, the system has led to the arrest of 2000 people. The police is rather targeting sex offenders and football hooligans. The Home Office states the system has led to arrests of murderers and rapists and to 1000 people being denied entry to Britain. But no terrorists have really been spotted out by the system.
US civil society group Papers Please notes that "it's tempting to think that ID and PNR-based travel control systems don't "work" as anti-terrorist measures" because of the incompetence of the US authorities implementing it. Yet, the British system proves to be as faulty thus suggesting the system does not work as a concept and not due to its execution.
The system, strongly criticised by civil liberties campaigners, may hopefully be stopped by Britain's new coalition Government.
Papers Please! - Statistics on UK travel surveillance and control
(20.05.2010)
http://www.papersplease.org/wp/2010/05/20/statistics-on-uk-travel-surv...
Outrage at secret probe into 47,000 innocent flyers (16.05.2010)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1278782/Outrage-secret-probe-4...