On Wednesday 16 May, the Commission proposed an update of the Visa Information System (VIS) to secure the entry of third country nationals into the EU a little more and to prevent risk profiles.
The VIS is the database containing information on people applying for short-stay Schengen visas. It connects border guards at the EU's external borders with member states' consulates across the world.
The proposed changes to the VIS database in this new regulation will enable: - more thorough background checks on visa applicants; - the closure of security information gaps through better information exchange between member states; - and full interoperability with other EU-wide databases.
The newly proposed measures include automatic security checks across all databases. "All visa applications recorded in the VIS will now be automatically checked against all other EU information systems for security and migration, such as the newly established Entry-Exit System (EES), the Schengen Information System (SIS) and the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS), through a single search portal", the Commission states. The Commission started work for the interoperability of European information systems in 2017 (see EUROPE 11824, 11819).
The VIS update is also expected to extend the scope of the VIS to include more information on long-stay visas or residence permits – which does not currently exist. "This will allow border guards to quickly determine whether a long-stay visa or a residence permit used to cross the Schengen external borders is valid" and in the hands of its legitimate holder, the Commission states.
The newly proposed measures will also enable copies of the visa applicant's travel document to be included in the VIS database. The objective of this measure is to facilitate the work of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency staff in the identification and readmission of undocumented irregular migrants.
Law enforcement authorities and Europol will now have "more structured access to the VIS for the prevention, detection or investigation of terrorist offences or other serious crimes".
The VIS will be also opened to law enforcement authorities for the purpose of identifying victims of trafficking. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)