Screening of third-country nationals at the EU’s external borders [EU Legislation in Progress]

Written by Costica Dumbrava (3rd edition, updated on 20.03.2024),

In September 2020, the Commission put forward a new pact on migration and asylum, setting out a comprehensive approach to European Union (EU) migration policies that links external borders, asylum, return systems, the Schengen area of free movement and the external dimension of migration. The pact includes a proposal for a new regulation on the screening of third-country nationals at external borders aiming to clarify and streamline the rules on dealing with third-country nationals who are not authorised to enter or stay in the EU.

The proposal would introduce a pre-entry screening procedure allowing national authorities at external borders to channel irregular third-country nationals to the appropriate procedure, i.e. asylum or return procedures. The screening would start with preliminary health and vulnerability checks and finish with the transmission of a debriefing form to the appropriate authorities. The proposal would provide for the establishment, by each Member State, of an independent monitoring mechanism for fundamental rights.

Following the provisional agreement reached by the Parliament and the Council in December 2023, the agreed text of the new regulation has been tabled for a vote in the April I plenary session.

Complete version

• March 2024: Screening of third-country nationals at the EU external borders (3rd edition)