EU:The European Commission has proposed fingerprinting all non-EU citizens visiting the 24 European states in the Schengen border-free zone to tackle illegal immigration.
It also confirmed yesterday that it is considering forcing all non-EU nationals to send their personal details over the internet to EU border guards to obtain prior authorisation before travelling.
The measures are part of a wider package of border security measures, which are intended to fight illegal immigration, terrorism, organised crime and people traffickers.
"We cannot have mafia, terrorists or traffickers using better technology than our police. That is why we have to improve our capacity to use technology," said EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini, who added that the measures would allow legitimate free movement of people while addressing illegal migration and security risks.
The package has several elements: a biometric entry and exit system for non-EU nationals; an electronic travel authorisation initiative to pre-screen foreign travellers; a new EU-wide border surveillance system; a common EU border guard; and a trusted traveller programme for non-EU nationals.
The most controversial aspect of the package is a plan to register the entry and exit details of all third-country nationals when they enter the Schengen zone, which includes 24 European states but not Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Romania or Bulgaria.
A new computerised system would log the time and place of entry of a third-country national and the length of stay authorised.
It would also issue alerts automatically to all states within the system when a visitor overstays his or her visa. Some 50 per cent of the estimated eight million illegal immigrants in the EU are "overstayers", and the commission believes an alert system would help identify them.
The system would also check non-EU nationals' fingerprints at borders and compare them with fingerprints collected from visa applications made at EU consulates abroad and stored in an EU database. To try to alleviate long queues for frequent travellers such as businessmen, a trusted traveller programme would be established using biometrics such as fingerprints or iris scans to speed up border checks.
The commission may also set up an electronic travel authorisation system that requires non-EU nationals to send their personal details over the internet to border guards prior to travelling.
This would enable guards to check if any known terrorists or criminals are travelling and refuse them entry. A similar system is already up and running in Australia and the US is due to launch one shortly that will apply to EU and Irish citizens.
Civil liberties groups strongly criticised the plan yesterday, saying it was yet another example of a "big brother" surveillance culture developing in Brussels and it raises privacy concerns.
"It's boys with toys. They want to have the toys the Americans have," said Gus Hosein of the Privacy International watchdog, adding that such a large electronic register of data was bound to be lost or abused.
The plan would also create a European border surveillance system that would use the latest satellite technology to monitor the EU's external borders to check for illegal immigrants. It may also create a common EU border guard composed of national officials in the future that would help to police Europe's external borders.
Member states and the European Parliament will have to consider the plan before it can be adopted. A target date of 2012-2015 is envisaged for most elements in the package.