"With this deal we will better protect our external borders, fight child trafficking and terrorism, reinforce free movement in the Schengen area and contribute to a more efficient return policy of
rejected asylum seekers", explained Paulo Rangel MEP today.
His statement came after the European Parliament and Member States agreed this afternoon on new improvements to the European Union's Visa Information System, a tool used by visa authorities, police officers and border guards to register and check persons applying for a visa to enter the Schengen area.
Rangel, who negotiated the law change on behalf of the European Parliament, said: "The Visa Information System is an essential component in the EPP Group push for secure borders. We are delivering to our citizens. This is the biggest reform since the establishment of the Visa Information System."
The new tool will include mandatory security checks across all EU databases to detect applicants using multiple identities and identify anyone posing security or irregular migration risks. The new rules, which will have to be in place by 2023, will also provide better access to Europol and law enforcement authorities to VIS data to identify victims of crime and terrorism.
Photo by Eric Fischer, Wikimedia commons.