The EU Schengen Information System helps combat serious crime and terrorism

The 29-year-old passenger landed in Amsterdam and claimed he had no passport. When the border guards ran his fingerprints against the Schengen Information System (SIS), they found out he was wanted by Germany for financing terrorist activities. This story shows how dozens of terrorist suspects are caught every year thanks to the Schengen Information System.

It has been one year since the SIS was upgraded with new categories of alerts, including biometrics, such as palmprints, fingerprints and DNA records for missing persons, and additional tools to combat serious crime and terrorism. These upgrades further equip national authorities, providing them with more complete and reliable information to enhance security and border management in Europe.

Background

The Schengen Information System is the largest information sharing system for security and border management in Europe. It provides information on wanted or missing persons, third-country nationals with no legal right to stay in the European Union, and lost or stolen objects, such as cars, firearms, boats and identity documents.

Thanks to the SIS, competent national authorities, such as police and border guards, can access and consult alerts on wanted persons and objects in one common European database. These persons and objects can then be located anywhere within the EU and the Schengen area during police, border or other lawful checks.

Find out more about the true story of a terrorist suspect who was arrested thanks to SIS

More on SIS:

Schengen Information System

Factsheet

EU Schengen Information System saves lives