EU tests new biometric screening process for migrants at Lampedusa

Lampedusa, the small island between Italy and Morocco and a key entry point for irregular migration to Europe, has become a testing site for the EU’s new migrant screening process involving biometric registration.

The experiment is part of the implementation of the EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum, designed to boost security screening and registration at borders and expedite processes for those who are denied asylum. The two-week pilot, conducted from October 13th to 24th, evaluated the tools and processes within the Screening Toolbox developed by EU agencies.

The procedures were tested on 240 people who arrived on the island irregularly. The testing was a joint operation between EU border agency Frontex, Europol, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) and Italian authorities.

“By preparing together, we make sure that the new EU screening process will enhance border management while safeguarding the fundamental rights of all those arriving at our external borders,” says Hans Leijtens, executive director of Frontex.

According to the Screening Regulation, which enters into force in June 2026, all third-country nationals arriving without authorization must go through checks within seven days at external borders or three days if the person is already inside the country.

The checks include health and vulnerability examinations, registration of biometrics in Eurodac and identification and security inspection by cross-checking data in EU border management systems. This includes the Entry-Exit System (EES), the Schengen Information System (SIS), the Visa Information System (VIS) and the upcoming European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).

“It is crucial for the EU Agency for Asylum to test the tools developed under the new Pact before their implementation,” says Nina Gregori, EUAA executive director. “The Screening Regulation is a key element of this new approach to effective migration management.”

The Pact on Migration and Asylum has been a subject of contention due to its reforms to the Eurodac biometric database and how biometrics are collected from minors. The Eurodac, which began recording the fingerprints of asylum seekers 20 years ago, is set to be expanded with facial biometrics. The proposal also calls for lowering the age at which subjects could be fingerprinted from 14 years old to six years old.

Critics have argued that EU authorities could use the data to implement more hostile asylum and border policies. Frontex, on the other hand, says that the regulation brings faster and more efficient processing for migrants.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  border security  |  EU Pact on Migration and Asylum  |  Eurodac  |  Europe  |  Frontex  |  identity verification  |  immigration