Europe Tightens Border Control: Large-Scale Fingerprinting Project to Launch at Airports

The European Union will implement a pan-European border crossing system starting October 12. This was reported by Interfax.

“Europe is tightening border control. A large-scale project for fingerprinting and facial recognition at airports is about to begin,” the website states.

The system primarily targets individuals with false passports and those who have overstayed their residence permits in EU countries.

The new European border control system, known as EES (Entry/Exit System), has been in development for over a decade and its implementation has been delayed multiple times due to technical issues. “A concrete start date has now been set. According to the Commission, this will be October 12,” the announcement states.

Fingerprints, facial images, and data on border crossings of third-country nationals will be stored in a pan-European registry upon their first entry into the Schengen area. Subsequently, individuals arriving in Europe will be able to cross the border via a border control machine without the need to meet with a passport inspector. Passport stamps will be entirely eliminated.

A six-month transitional period has been established, during which the existing border control will operate alongside the new system. This new system, which is expected to handle between 200-300 million border crossings annually, will initially be deployed at several border crossing points. The registry data will be accessible to immigration authorities, police, Finland's Security Intelligence Service, and Defense Forces.