Eurodac annual statistics.
Date: 2016-05-03
Institutions: European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
Subjects: EU Member State, EU migration policy, Schengen Information System, admission of aliens, area of freedom, security and justice, exchange of information, fight against crime, migration control, operation of the Institutions, statistics

Eurodac - annual statistics * 
April 2016 
eu-LISA •European Agency for the operational management of  
large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and justice 

Eurodac

Eurodac is the European Dactyloscopy (fingerprints) database. It facilitates the application of the Dublin Regulation 
by helping to determine the country responsible for the assessment of an asylum claim presented in the European 
Union or the Associated Dublin States (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein). The system is used in 32 
countries: 28 EU Member States and 4 Associated Dublin States. Since 20 July 2015, Eurodac Recast Regulation No 
603/2013 took effect and national police forces as well as Europol can have access to the system subject to strict 
conditions, for the purpose of prevention, detection and investigation of terrorist offences as well as other serious 
criminal offences. 

eu-LISA’s role 

eu-LISA provides 24/7 operational management for Eurodac and is 
required to publish a collection of annual statistics as per Article 8(2) 
Eurodac Recast Regulation (No 603/2013). The statistics cover the 
period from the date of application of the Eurodac Recast 
Regulation on 20 July to 31 December 2015. 

Figures and findings 

In less than six months, from 20 July 
until 31 December 2015, Eurodac 
processed almost 800,000 
fingerprints of applicants for 
international protection aged at least 
14 years old (category 1 data), and 
more than 270,000 fingerprints for 
persons apprehended when crossing 
the external border of a Member 
State irregularly (category 2 data). A 
substantial increase compared to 
figures reported for 2014 is observed, 
when more than 505,000 category 1  
data entries and almost 107,000 category 2 data entries were processed for the whole year. 

During the reporting period, the usage of the system by law enforcement was limited. Five Member States - 
Austria, Germany, Finland, France and the Netherlands - performed a total of 95 law enforcement searches. 
Europol was not yet connected to Eurodac on 31 December 2015.  

About the Agency  
eu-LISA is the European agency responsible for the operational management of the Schengen Information System (SIS 
II), the Visa Information System (VIS) and Eurodac. The agency operates IT systems that are the most important existing 
tools  for  managing  EU  borders  and  helping  to  make  free  and  safe  movement  of  people  in  the  EU  a  reality.  The 
headquarters  of  eu-LISA  are  in  Tallinn  (Estonia),  operational  management  is  carried  out  in  Strasbourg  (France)  and  a 
backup site is located in Sankt Johann im Pongau (Austria). www.eulisa.europa.eu 

* This document is provided purely for information purposes, it highlights key points of the accompanying “Eurodac- 2015 statistics”. 

© European Agency for the operational management of large-scale information systems in the area of freedom, security and justice (eu-LISA), 2016 

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