Workshop on “Migration Management : Sharing Experiences

between Europe and Thailand” co-organized by the European Union and

Royal Thai Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

EU Information Systems

Bangkok, June 13-14 2012

Schengen Information System

SIS

Joint information system consisting of a national section in each Member State

Purpose: to ensure a high level of security within the area of

freedom, security and justice of the EU, including the maintenance of public security and public policy

Automated search procedure to have access to alerts on persons and property for the purposes of border checks and other police and customs checks carried out within the country

Scope

• alerts in respect of:

-third country nationals,

-the exchange of supplementary information

-additional data for the purpose of refusing entry into, or

a stay in, a MS

N-SIS Office and SIRENE Bureau

• SIS Central Office

• N.SIS Office’ in each MS:

responsible for the operation and security of the N.SIS

ensure the access of the competent authorities

transmit its alerts via its N.SIS Office.

• ‘SIRENE Bureau’ in each MS: ensure the exchange of all supplementary information

in accordance with the provisions of the ‘SIRENE Manual’.

Requests for supplementary information made by a MS shall be answered as soon as possible

ALERTS ISSUED IN RESPECT OF THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS FOR

THE PURPOSE OF REFUSING ENTRY AND STAY

• photographs

• fingerprints

• nationality(ies)

• whether the person concerned is armed, violent or has escaped

• reason for the alert

• authority issuing the alert

• a reference to the decision giving rise to the alert

• action to be taken

• link(s) to other alerts issued in SIS

Conditions for issuing alerts on refusal of entry or stay

Data shall be entered on the basis of a national alert resulting from a decision taken by the competent administrative authorities or courts

Based on a threat to public policy, security or to national security which the presence of the third-country national in question in the territory of a MS may pose

VIS

Purpose of the VIS

• System for the exchange of data on short-stay visas

among Schengen States which shall enable authorised national authorities to enter and update visa data and to consult these data electronically

• Based on a centralised architecture and consiste of a central information system and interface in each MS

• Improving the implementation of the common visa policy, consular cooperation and consultation between central authorities, identify any person who exceed the maximum period (90 days per 180 days), no longer meets the stay or residence conditions in the territory of the MS

Data

• Provided by the standard form of visa application and

the information specified in the visa sticker (uniform

format for visas).

• Connecting to the national systems of MS. Competent

authorities process data on visa:

applications, issued, refused, cancelled, revoked or

extended.

Biometrics

• verification and identification of visa applicants

• Photography and 10 fingerprints

• Matching at border crossing point and within the

territory

VIS

How does the VIS work in practice?

A third country national wishing to travel to the Schengen area appears in

person to a consulate to apply for a Schengen visa

The visa applicant's biometric data (10-flat digital fingerprints and photograph) and alphanumeric data are collected

When crossing a Schengen external border, the visa sticker number will be checked against the VIS. (A mismatch does not mean that entry will be automatically refused - it will just lead to further checks on the traveller’s identity)

Issuing visa at the external BCPs (exceptionally). Necessary equipment.

VIS

Where the VIS is operating?

The VIS will be progressively deployed, region by region on the basis of three criteria defined by the VIS Regulation:

• the risk of irregular immigration,

• the threats to the internal security of the Schengen states,

• the feasibility for collecting biometrics from all locations in the region

The VIS started the operations in all Schengen states' visa issuing consulates:

First region- North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia) in the 11th of October 2011.

Second region: Near East (Israel, Jordan, the Lebanon, and Syria) from 10th of May 2012.

Third region: Gulf region (Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen), as from the 2nd of October.

VIS

Which data are registered in the VIS?

the alphanumeric data contained in the Schengen visa application form: applicant's name, nationality, place of residence, occupation, travel document's number, type of visa requested, main destination and duration of the intended stay, intended border of first entry, details of the inviting person

the digital photograph, and the ten fingerprints of the applicant.

decision information on the application (issuance/ refusal of the visa) or subsequently (annulment, revocation, extension), registered by the visa authorities of the competent Schengen states.

VIS

Who has access to the VIS and for which purposes?

The visa authorities of the Schengen states for entering and consulting the data

The national border authorities for the purpose of verifying the identity of the visa holder, the authenticity of the visa, and whether the conditions for entry to the territory of the Schengen states are fulfilled

The national authorities responsible for carrying out checks within the territory of the Schengen

VIS

National asylum authorities for determining the MS responsible for examining an asylum application

National law enforcement authorities for a specific case and there must be reasonable grounds to consider that the consultation of the data will substantially contribute to the prevention, detection or investigation of terrorist and other serious crimes.

In the future, Europol for consultation to the VIS for the purposes of the prevention, detection and investigations of terrorist offences and of other serious criminal offences.

Third countries and international organizations when necessary in an individual case for proving the identity of a third country national, including for the purpose of return.

VIS Which applicants are exempt from the fingerprint requirement?

-children under the age of twelve;

- persons for whom fingerprinting is physically impossible (maximum number of

fingerprints shall be taken).

-heads of state or government and members of a national government when

they are invited by MS' governments or by international organisations for an

official purpose;

- sovereigns and other senior members of a royal family, when they are invited

by MS' governments or by international organisations for an official purpose.

This list is mandatory and exhaustive. Holders of diplomatic passports are not exempt as such

from the fingerprinting requirement. (may be exempt if they are members of the official delegation

of heads of State/ members of a national government invited for an official purpose).

EURODAC SYSTEM

ASYLUM APPLICANTS

ALIENS APPREHENDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE IRREGULAR CROSSING OF AN EXTERNAL BORDER

ALIENS FOUND ILLEGALLY PRESENT IN A MEMBER STATE

ASYLUM APPLICANTS

• to assist in determining which Member State is

to be responsible for examining an application

for asylum lodged in a Member State by a third-

country national

ALIENS APPREHENDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE

IRREGULAR CROSSING OF AN EXTERNAL BORDER

Collection and transmission of fingerprint data

take the fingerprints of all fingers of every 3CN of at least 14 years of age who is apprehended by the competent control authorities and who is not turned back

The MS concerned shall promptly transmit to the Central Unit the following data:

• (a) Member State of origin, place and date of the apprehension;

• (b) fingerprint data;

• (c) sex;

• (d) reference number used by the Member State of origin;

• (e) date on which the fingerprints were taken;

• (f) date on which the data were transmitted to the Central Unit.

ALIENS FOUND ILLEGALLY PRESENT IN A

MEMBER STATE

• Comparison of fingerprint data to check whether an alien found illegally present within its territory has previously lodged an application for asylum in another Member State,

• each MS may transmit to the Central Unit any fingerprint data relating to fingerprints which it may have taken of any such alien of at least 14 years of age together with the reference number used by that Member State.

Advanced Passenger Information System

(APIS)

Objective

improving border controls and combating illegal

immigration by the transmission of advance passenger

data by carriers to the competent national authorities

APIS

• obligation for carriers to transmit at the request of the authorities responsible for carrying out checks on persons at external borders, by the end of check-in, information concerning the passengers they will carry to an authorised border crossing point through which these persons will enter the territory of a MS.

APIS

• The information shall comprise:

— the number and type of travel document used,

— nationality,

— full names,

— the date of birth,

— the border crossing point of entry into the territory of the Member States,

— code of transport,

— departure and arrival time of the transportation,

— total number of passengers carried on that transport,

— the initial point of embarkation.

APIS

• Data are collected by the carriers and transmitted electronically or, in case of failure, by any other appropriate means

• The authorities responsible for carrying out checks on persons at external borders shall save the data in a temporary file.

• After passengers have entered, these authorities shall delete the data, within 24 hours after transmission, (excemption for the purposes of exercising the functions of the authorities responsible for carrying out checks on persons at external borders in accordance with national law and subject to data protection provisions)

APIS

• carriers are obliged to delete, within 24 hours of the arrival of the means of transportation, the personal data they have collected and transmitted to the border authorities

• MS may also use the personal data for law enforcement purposes.

FADO

Restricted system for the exchange of information between document experts on false as well as genuine travel and identity documents

• Consultation and recording.

• The iFADO system contains the most important

information for document checking, derived from FADO.

• Only reading.

PRADO system contains part of the information on authentic documents contained in iFADO with less quality and is available to the general public on a sub-page of the homepage of the Council: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/prado

iFADO mission

iFADO provides information on travel and identity documents on a secure website to competent control authorities for the purpose of facilitating document checking (border guards and law enforcement agencies)

iFADO:

• fight against illegal immigration,

• organized crime,

• terrorism,

• trafficking in human beings,

• smuggling of human beings

• trafficking in drugs.

iFADO content

• images on security features of authentic travel and

identity documents, visas and stamps of the Member

States of the European Union and of third countries.

• false and falsified documents images

• information on typical false documents and forgery

techniques

Highest quality and reliability

• Documents are introduced by document experts all over Europe

• The information contained is validated by all participating document experts

• Several validation steps assure consistent, standardized information

• High quality translations are performed automatically by the system, as well as by specialized translators

• Constantly updated

• The iFADO website is available in 22 official languages of the

European Union

• Free Access to iFADO is free for all authorised users with in the

MS of the EU, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, as

well as the European Commission and Europol

Automated Border Control (ABC)

• refers to the use of automated gates for machine-

assisted border crossings, usually for use by Registered

Travellers or by EU citizens holding e-passports.

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Entry-Exit System (EES)

• electronic recording of entry and exit information of 3CN admitted for a short stay to the Schengen area, both visa holders and visa exempt nationals and allows for consultation of the data stored by the relevant authorities.

• The system would generate an alert or notification when the legal entitlement of a 3CN to stay in the Schengen area has expired and there is no record in the system that the individual has left the territory.

Registered Traveller Programme

(RTP)

• centralised programme enabling facilitated border checks for 3CN, who have voluntarily chosen to pre-enrol their biographic and biometric data, and have undergone a vetting procedure according to pre-defined criteria.

• For visa holders, the enrolment procedure could make use of the same equipment as with the visa application process. RTP participants would be able to use automated facilities at certain border crossing points where available, allowing for expedited border checks while maintaining a high level of security at EU external borders.

• EU and non-EU travellers.

• The same fingerprint readers could be used to allow for the verification of registered travellers.

• pre-screening and the use of biometric data

• border checks for this group of 3CN could then be fully automated, using the same process as is being introduced for EU citizens today (ABC)

• The most radical option for handling the question of the stamping obligation would be to simply abolish it:

-persons benefiting from Local Border Traffic are not stamped either, as these persons are assumed not to present a risk for overstaying or attempting to circulate outside the border zone;

-main target group for registered travellers would be persons coming on business, they would present an equally low risk of overstaying taking into account the pre-screening

• access to the data stored in the system should be given to law enforcement authorities and possibly also third countries.

ADEXTTRA System

• Regulation for implementation of the Act on rights and

freedoms of aliens in Spain and their social integration

Foreigners Central Register

Aliens Identity Number: (NIE)

personal, unique and sequential

granted automatically by PGD

ADEXTTRA System

• Act which regulates the computer files of the Police General

Directorate containing personal data, according to Act on Data

Protection

ADEXTTRA System

• Purpose: reports and resolutions procedures (visas at the

border, refusal of entry, residence permits and work permit

renewals, returns, expulsions, sanctions, entry prohibitions)

of the Community rules, stateless, asylum and refuge law,

procedures and reports of nationality, and minor illegal

aliens.

• Use: Administrative control and police investigation.

ADEXTTRA System

• Scope: Aliens and EU citizens.

Legal and illegal stay

• Collection of personal data: recording data through the

official forms, proceedings or police procedures, as well as

gorvernment or judicial decisions.

Thank your for your attention