The agreement will allow Member States to gradually benefit from the many advantages and capabilities of the system, while giving border authorities, the transport industry and travellers more time to adjust to the new procedures.
Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs
18 posts
The European Commission has published figures showing that the consulates of EU countries and Schengen associated countries received more than 11.7 million applications for short-stay visas in 2024. This is a 13.6 % increase compared to 2023.
The European Commission has announced the launch of the shared biometric matching service (sBMS), a major step towards seamless interoperability. This marks a significant milestone in the EU’s efforts to enhance security, border, and migration management.
Explore how different EMN Member Countries organise first-instance appeals procedures for international protection applicants in the latest EMN inform. Discover how these countries can support the implementation of reforms aligned with the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
The Commission has announced an additional EUR 3 billion in funding to support the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, as well as to host refugees from Ukraine. This will provide further assistance to EU countries in managing migration and asylum in a transparent and orderly way.
The EU-funded research project, METICOS, has been working to advance the adoption of smart border control technologies by better understanding user acceptance. Its findings have the potential to increase the adoption of innovative border checks solutions both by authorities and by travellers.
Starting in the last quarter of 2026, ETIAS is a new requirement for travellers who do not need a visa to visit Europe. Find out how this will affect you when travelling by air.
On 23 April, the Commission adopted its annual report on the State of Schengen. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the functioning of the Schengen area of freedom, security, and justice without internal frontiers, marking 40 years since the Schengen Agreement was signed.
On 5 March, EU Home Affairs Ministers endorsed a revised timeline for the implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). The EES is expected to become operational in October 2025.
Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, signed a Working Arrangement between Europol and Egypt at the margins of the 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Khartoum Process, which is expected to enhance law enforcement cooperation between the two sides of the Mediterranean.
