EU database manages asylum system

The EU’s ‘Eurodac’ database confirms that after two years of being in use, the number of asylum applications has decreased while the number of registered ‘irregular’ entrants has increased.

The amount of checks of illegally present persons almost doubled in 2004.

The report reveals that with 13 per cent of these cases, the same person had already made asylum in the same country or another member state. 

Eurodac, containing the fingerprints of all asylum seekers over the age of 14, was set up to establish which European country should be responsible for handling an asylum application.

Those refugees caught by Eurodac are returned to the original country of entry into the EU to have their applications processed there.

Brussels argues that Eurodac is easing the strain on European asylum systems.

Duplicated applications incur heavy administration and welfare benefit costs for national governments.

The total budget allocated for Eurodac is €13.6 million. The total expenditure so far has been €7.5 million.

EU officials believe that welfare benefits falsely paid to duplicate claims may be used to pay off the organised crime syndicates behind 'people trafficking' into the EU.

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