A report by ECR MEP Monica Macovei that will extend the scope of the EU’s fingerprint database for migrants, EURODAC, was adopted in the parliament’s civil liberties committee today.

The new rules will facilitate the identification of migrants staying illegally and improve redocumentation for return purposes. Reducing the age for the collection of biometric data for minors from 14 to 6 years will protect unaccompanied children and help identify and reunite them with their families. It will also reduce situations where minors are caught-up in smuggling and exploitation networks.

Monica Macovei said: “Extending the scope of the biometric data collected to include facial image, along with fingerprinting, will help prevent migrants using various means to avoid identification and therefore gain re-entry into the EU. This will also help prevent the situation whereby migrants attempt to ‘shop around’ for asylum by demanding political asylum in more than one country.”

Finally, EUROPOL, the EU’s international law enforcement agency, will benefit from direct access to the EURODAC database, which is essential to help them identify criminals and suspects (including possible returning foreign fighters).

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Contact: Jan Krelina, ECR Spokesman, on +32 493 214346, jan.krelina@europarl.europa.eu

The ECR was created to take the EU in a new direction, according to the principles of our founding Prague Declaration. It is the third largest group in the European Parliament with 74 MEPs from 18 EU states.

For more information on the ECR, watch our promotional video at http://youtu.be/F5syQt1JuQI or visit our website: www.ecrgroup.eu