Germany to scrutinize social media of visa applicants – UK watchdog
Germany is suggesting increased scrutiny of social media accounts for those applying for Schengen visas to combat fraud. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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Online content will help evaluate fraud risk, according to documents seen by Statewatch.
The German Federal Police have put forth a proposal to examine social media accounts of applicants for Schengen visas in order to assist officials in verifying information, as reported by the British civil liberties watchdog Statewatch, which cites internal documents it has accessed.
Embassy personnel and police within the 29-country Schengen Area, which does not include Britain, routinely evaluate applications based on subjective criteria, such as the “plausibility” of the stated reasons for travel and the likelihood of applicants leaving the zone.
The documents indicate that social media profiles should be incorporated into this assessment process.
“It may be possible to check whether the traveler is active in them and which content is displayed, which groups they belong to, or which places were last visited,” according to Statewatch’s account of the document. “Job profiles can allow conclusions about the actual profession and thus income.”
This recommendation is reportedly part of the ‘Handbook Visa Fraud: Preventive measures and repressive control approaches,’ which also calls for the development of “risk profiles.” These profiles would leverage criteria such as “gender, age, groups of persons, origin, itinerary” to evaluate the risk of visa fraud among applicants.
A spokesperson for the German Federal Police, as cited by Statewatch, stated that “intensive” open-source research “generally falls within the legal framework for border controls and the rules for issuing visas.”
“Furthermore, appropriate measures are always dependent on the national legislation in the EU member states,” the spokesperson highlighted.
As of 2024, the Schengen Area encompasses 25 of the 27 EU member states, in addition to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Currently, Schengen visa applications do not allow applicants to list their social media accounts.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
The German Federal Police have put forth a proposal to examine social media accounts of applicants for Schengen visas in order to assist officials in verifying information, as reported by the British civil liberties watchdog Statewatch, which cites internal documents it has accessed.
Embassy personnel and police within the 29-country Schengen Area, which does not include Britain, routinely evaluate applications based on subjective criteria, such as the “plausibility” of the stated reasons for travel and the likelihood of applicants leaving the zone.
The documents indicate that social media profiles should be incorporated into this assessment process.
“It may be possible to check whether the traveler is active in them and which content is displayed, which groups they belong to, or which places were last visited,” according to Statewatch’s account of the document. “Job profiles can allow conclusions about the actual profession and thus income.”
This recommendation is reportedly part of the ‘Handbook Visa Fraud: Preventive measures and repressive control approaches,’ which also calls for the development of “risk profiles.” These profiles would leverage criteria such as “gender, age, groups of persons, origin, itinerary” to evaluate the risk of visa fraud among applicants.
A spokesperson for the German Federal Police, as cited by Statewatch, stated that “intensive” open-source research “generally falls within the legal framework for border controls and the rules for issuing visas.”
“Furthermore, appropriate measures are always dependent on the national legislation in the EU member states,” the spokesperson highlighted.
As of 2024, the Schengen Area encompasses 25 of the 27 EU member states, in addition to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Currently, Schengen visa applications do not allow applicants to list their social media accounts.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
