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The Schengen Information System
The Schengen Information System (SIS) started operating in Cyprus today, upgrading border security and policing in general in our country. The vast amounts of data of the system are now accessible by the Cyprus Police, whose members can consult it in their daily checks, further enhancing the effort to maintain security and fight crime.
In general, SIS is a huge information exchange system, which has been used for the last almost 30 years in the European countries of the Schengen area. This system is considered to have contributed and continues to contribute significantly to maintaining security in Europe and guaranteeing freedom, security and justice in the Schengen area countries.
All this because SIS actively supports operational cooperation and information exchange between the national police, border, immigration, customs and judicial authorities of the EU and the Schengen countries.
The main purpose of SIS is to exchange information and data between the contracting countries, in real time, ensuring The system is a common database into which the authorities of each contracting state, such as police and border guards, enter information on persons or objects related to the commission or investigation of crimes or offences. Subsequently, the authorities of the other contracting countries can consult this data during border, police or other lawful checks anywhere within the EU and the Schengen area.
The operation of the SIS is based on EU regulations and regulated by Executive Decisions of the European Commission, which is responsible for the supervision and evaluation of the whole system. Responsible for the exchange of information and the coordination of activities related to SIS entries are the national SIRENE (Supplementary Information Request at the National Entries) sections. Such sections exist in each country that has access to SIS data, while SIRENE has also been set up in the European Police Office EUROPOL.
Its use in the Schengen countries started in 1995 and has since then undergone two upgrades. The first in 2013 and the second just last March (2023). Following these upgrades, SIS now has the ability to add fingerprints, photographs and DNA files, while its functions have also been optimised.
With these capabilities, SIS has further strengthened Europe's authorities in protecting vulnerable persons, as authorities can enter information and additional data (e.g. DNA files) on missing persons in order to locate them. At the same time, it is also possible to introduce preventive entries to protect certain categories of vulnerable persons, such as children at risk of abduction or who are potential victims of terrorism, trafficking in persons, gender-based violence or armed conflict.
It also strengthens the counter-terrorism and counter-crime activities of the European authorities, through the exchange of information on persons and objects involved in activities related to terrorism or serious crime. In this area, from March 2021, the contracting countries will exchange with EUROPOL "search matches" on SIS entries related to terrorist crimes.
The use of the SIS also strengthens efforts to combat irregular migration of third-country nationals to Europe. Through the system, countries enter return decisions, as well as alerts for the purpose of refusing entry or stay, for persons found to be illegally staying in the EU and subject to entry bans.
The SIS does not contain personal data on all European citizens or residents. Entries in the system only include information on persons or objects related to various crimes.
The use of personal data in the SIS, in relation to which personal data can be stored and for what purposes, is regulated by EU law. It also regulates the period during which data can be stored in the system and when they must be deleted.
Respecting the personal rights of citizens, the regulation governing the operation of the system allows any person who suspects that their personal data are being unlawfully processed by the SIS to request access to the data, as well as to request their deletion.
(MB/SX)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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