Europol should have access to fingerprints and names of asylum seekers; refugee children should be fingerprinted to keep them safe from traffickers, MEPs say.

An improved Schengen Information System should help to step up the EU fight against terrorism, cross-border crime and illegal immigration.

Asylum-seekers will get access to the EU labour market more quickly, under an informal deal between EP and EU Ministers, which also foresees strengthened protection for minors.

The creation of an EU border control system received a first green light from Parliament and Council negotiators on Tuesday night. The cornerstone of the deal is to upgrade today’s Frontex border agency, which, together with national border management authorities, will form a European Border and Coast Guard. It is now up to member states and Parliament as a whole to endorse the agreement.

Following recent developments in the investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017, MEPs visited Malta between 3-4 December to take stock of the situation on the ground.

On Monday, in a debate with Commissioner Reynders and Minister Tuppurainen, committee MEPs condemned the lack of progress in ongoing processes and asked for a permanent EU-wide mechanism.

Civil Liberties MEPs agreed to start negotiations with EU ministers to revise time limits and conditions for passport controls within the Schengen area.

All of the EP’s 20 standing committees and two subcommittees held their constitutive meetings on Wednesday to elect their chair and vice-chairs.

A swift return to a fully functional Schengen area is needed to safeguard freedom of movement and ensure the EU’s economic recovery, says the Civil Liberties Committee.

On Thursday, the organisers of “Minority Safepack” presented their objectives at a hearing organised by the Civil Liberties, Culture and Petitions committees.

Erklärung des Vorsitzenden des Ausschusses für bürgerliche Freiheiten, Justiz und Inneres zur Wiedereinführung von Grenzkontrollen an einigen Schengen-Binnengrenzen wegen des Coronavirus:

Die Nutzung von Smartphone-Daten in der EU zur Erforschung und Eindämmung von COVID-19 muss mit den Datenschutz- und Privatsphärebestimmungen übereinstimmen.

The Civil Liberties Committee is set to adopt a draft resolution on the continuing deterioration of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Poland.

Civil Liberties Committee MEPs stress the importance of safeguarding individual fundamental rights as well as respect for procedural safeguards when applying EU legislation on returns.

The situation on the Greek islands following the destruction of the Moria refugee camp will be the focus of a debate in the Civil Liberties Committee on Tuesday afternoon.

The Civil Liberties Committee warns against an array of risks for fundamental rights across the EU and calls on the Commission and member states to take action.

Wie können Migration und Asyl künftig in der EU geregelt werden? Das diskutieren am Donnerstag ab 10:00 Uhr Abgeordnete des EU-Parlaments, des Bundestags und anderer europäischer Parlamente.

The EU must help member states at the external borders to manage migration flows and ensure that those seeking protection are welcomed in line with its core values.

Most of the one million-plus migrants and refugees who travelled to the European Union in 2015 came via Turkey. There are now more than 2.5 million refugees in Turkey itself. At the end of November 2015, the EU and Turkey struck a deal to try to control migrant flows into Europe. Turkey in return is to receive an extra €3 billion from the EU budget and member states in order to support refugees in the country.

MEPs will discuss on Wednesday the situation on the Greek islands and the plans to establish a new reception and identification centre on Lesvos.