DATA RIGHTS European Parliament urged to protect migrants’ rights in EU migration database reform Several European human rights organisations have addressed an open letter to the European Parliament urging to radically change the course of the EURODAC reform – the EU database storing asylum seekers’ and migrants’ biometric data - in order to respect fundamental rights and international law. The signatories warn against transforming the database into a powerful tool for mass surveillance, and coercing children as young as six into providing their biometric data. The reform would exacerbate the wider EU strategy on asylum and migration which would prevent arrivals, track movements and speed up return procedures, while lowering individual safeguards. The organisations call for a more open and democratic debate on the implications of EURODAC and the inclusion of sufficient safeguards for the right to dignity, privacy and data protection, the rights of the child, and the principles of necessity and proportionality.