VIS searches for asylum purposes and for visa verification in the territory

According to data from the European Commission, the total number of applications for short-stay EU visas in 2015 was 15.4 million, decreasing from 16.7 million in 2014 (see figure 7). According to eu-LISA data, the number of visa applications registered in the VIS in 2014 was 5.5 million, while in 2015 (January-September) it was 6.5 million. Between September 2013 and September 2015, Member States made over 52.5 million searches in the VIS. The overwhelming majority of searches (98 %) took place at the borders. The general increase in the number of consultations of the VIS for visa verifications in the territory and for asylum purpose (see figure 8) indicates a greater role for the VIS in combating irregular migration and asylum abuse.
The Commission evaluation report of October 2016 found that the VIS has played a supportive role in the application of the Dublin Regulation. However, according to the eu-LISA, only a minority of Member States make use of the VIS for asylum purposes: Germany performed almost 45 % of the total searches reported, followed by Sweden with 34 % of all searches for asylum purposes