Upgraded EU visa information database to enhance security at external borders
- enhanced security checks across all databases
- inclusion of long-stay visas and residence permits in the database
The improvements to the Visa Information System (VIS) agreed by the Civil Liberties Committee would ensure a better EU response to security and migratory challenges.
Visa Information System (VIS) is an EU database used by authorities to store issued visas, to verify that a person presenting a visa is its rightful holder and to identify persons found on the Schengen territory with no or fraudulent documents. The reform would enable the system to better respond to evolving security and migratory challenges and improve the EU's external border management
The Civil Liberties Committee agreed to the following changes to VIS:
- mandatory security checks across all databases (such as for example Eurodac and the Entry-Exit System) to detect applicants using multiple identities and identify anyone posing security or irregular migration risks;
- inclusion of long-stay visas, including the so called golden visas, and residence permits in the database to close security information gaps;
- the age for obtaining fingerprints and facial images of minors will be lowered from 12 to 6 years, to help identify and trace missing children and establish family links;
- a more structured access to Europol and law enforcement authorities to VIS data for the prevention, detection or investigation of terrorist offences or other serious crimes or for the search and identifying of missing or abducted persons and victims of trafficking, and
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Rapporteur Carlos Coelho (EPP, PT) said: “We are securing our territory before people reach our borders. We are enhancing the screening of third country nationals, including those with golden visas. We will have better tools for return. We will prevent child trafficking and better identify criminals and terrorists. This is a future proof VIS.”
Next steps
The draft report was adopted by 30, to 8, 3 abstentions on Monday. The Full House will likely vote on the draft report in the first March plenary.
The Civil Liberties MEPs agreed that the new rules should become applicable two years after their publication. Eu-LISA agency will be responsible for the development and management of the upgraded VIS database.
Background
The Visa Information System, which has been operational since 2011, is a database helping visa, border, asylum and migration authorities check third-country nationals who need a visa to travel to the Schengen area. At the end of 2017, the system had 48 million visa applications and 41 million sets of fingerprints. Approximately 16 million “Schengen” short-stay visas are issued annually with around one million operations taking place every day.
Contacts:
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Iina LIETZÉN
Press Officer