LONDON, Feb 14 (Bernama) — The European Commission (EC) has announced plans to curb human trafficking and new immigration measures for entry into the European Union from 2015, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported Thursday.
The plans, announced in Brussels under the European Border Management Strategy on Wednesday, include biometric measures and entry/exit register to monitor the entry and exit of people from non-EU countries that require a visa.
The EC estimates that there were nearly 8 million illegal immigrants within the EU in 2006.
An estimated 80 percent ofthem were within the border-free Schengen area.
In 2006, nearly 500,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended in the EU, official figures said.
Announcing the plans, EU commissioner for justice, freedom and security Franco Frattini told newspersons that the new measures were designed to put in place a completely new way of controlling our borders.
Jonathan Faull, director general of the European Commission’s Justice, Freedom and Security department, said:”The new measures would expedite the visa process for genuine travellers from third countries.
“We are not adding new criteria. We are accelerating and simplifying the process,” Faull said.
According to the plans, third country nationals requiring a short stay visa will be checked against the Visa Information System, which will be fully operational in 2012 at consulates and border crossing points.
The European Parliament and the Council reached a political agreement on the legal bases for the VIS in 2007 and it is expected to be formally adopted in the first half of 2008.
The main purposes of the VIS are, on entry, to verify the authenticity of the visa and the identity of its holder.