The European Commission suggested the instating of a biometrical and personal data registry for non-EU citizens who enter or leave the European space, specifically the Schengen zone. The registry would also record the duration and purpose of the visit, Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini declared. The system is aimed at both fighting the illegal immigration and the terrorism. EU members states involved in the project should ay some 35 million euro to put the system up and running.
The control system would apply for non-EU citizens with short stay visas (under 3 months) and will include data about the moment when the person the EU space, the place he enters or leaved through, the duration of stay and would further automatically send warnings to the authorities in case the visa expires.
The biometrical control system is already working in airports in Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Lisbon, Heathrow, Gatwick and Birmingham.
