EU approves new law to track terrorist suspects

The European Union has adopted a new security law purported to track terrorist suspects traveling to or from conflict zones who may pose a security threat to Europe.

Members of the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the 28-member EU, approved the so-called Passenger Name Record (PNR) law in the French city of Strasbourg on Thursday by 461 votes to 179, with nine abstentions.

Under the law, government authorities are given special access to information routinely collected by airlines from passengers, such as travel dates, itineraries, and credit card details.

EU officials say the new law would help prevent terrorist attacks such as the ones that recently occurred in France and Belgium.

However, the initiative has been criticized for giving governments wide access to personal data.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, however, defended the plan.

The PNR, he said, “will be a precious tool for boosting the security of European citizens” by helping to detect early the movement of terrorists and prevent them from taking action.

Cazeneuve said the initiative will boost “the sharing of information between police forces and European intelligence, one of the crucial requirements to enhance our protection against a new and mobile terrorist threat.”

In February, the EU passed a similar security measure to track the sources and channels of funding for terrorist suspects.

The adoption of the new law comes at a time of growing anti-Muslim sentiments across Europe amid the refugee crisis. Analysts say the law will specifically target Muslims.

Europe is currently facing its biggest refugee crisis in decades, with thousands of asylum seekers trying to reach European countries - many of them fleeing conflict zones.

Critics say the decision giving governments wide access to personal data is wrong and blame them for the continent's security breakdown.

The West stands accused of supporting Takfiri groups when they began their exodus to Syria to topple the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

MG