In Poland, the updated European Eurodac system has officially begun operating, allowing for the verification of refugees, asylum seekers, and illegal migrants based on biometric data. The new platform aims to strengthen border control, expedite international protection procedures, and assist law enforcement in combating illegal migration. This is reported by InPoland.
How the new Eurodac system works
Eurodac is a pan-European database that collects and analyzes biometric information of foreigners.
The system stores fingerprints, facial photographs, passport data, and other documents of individuals who:
- apply for asylum;
- are detained for illegal border crossing into the EU;
- are present in the territory of EU countries without legal grounds.
A feature of the new version of Eurodac is that biometric data is now also collected from children over six years old.
What will change for asylum seekers
The updated system allows for quick verification if a foreigner has applied for international protection in another EU country.
This allows border guards and migration services to more rapidly determine the country responsible for reviewing the application and avoid instances of multiple submissions of documents in different countries.
The Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasizes that this will help make the procedures more transparent and efficient.
What powers will the police and border guards receive
The Eurodac system will also become a tool for law enforcement agencies.
The police and border guard will have access to the data to identify offenders, victims of crimes, and persons who may pose a threat to public safety.
The Polish government expects that the new system will help effectively counter illegal migration, cross-border crime, and terrorist threats.
According to Poland's Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Tomasz Szmańka, the launch of Eurodac will strengthen cooperation between EU countries and improve the protection of the EU's external borders.
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What this means for Ukrainians
For Ukrainians in Poland under temporary protection or the legal UKR status, the new rules do not directly change the conditions of their stay.
The system primarily concerns individuals applying for asylum or illegally crossing EU borders. At the same time, the tightening of migration control indicates the general trend of the European Union towards stricter oversight of migration processes.
Previously, we reminded of the conditions for obtaining temporary protection in Poland.