European Parliament backs new Schengen border checks

The European Parliament has approved on Thursday a regulation which amends the Schengen Borders Code (SBC) in a bid to reinforce security and crack on the “foreign fighters” phenomenon at EU external borders.

European Parliament backs new Schengen border checks

The resolution was approved by 469 votes to 120, with 42 abstentions.

Under the new legislation, it will be possible to carry out systematic data checks on travelers holding EU passports and third-country nationals.

This means they "would be systematically checked against the Interpol stolen-and-lost travel documents database (SLTD) and the Schengen Information System (SIS)."

“The aim is that extra checks will make it easier to determine someone’s identity and whether they are a potential security threat,” said a statement by the European Parliament.

The new regulation was presented by the European Commission in December 2015 and agreed upon by the Parliament’s negotiators and the Council of Ministers on Dec. 5, 2016.  

It will enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the EU Official Journal.

Anadolu Agency

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