European Parliament approves Eurosur system to protect migrants

The European Parliament has approved operating rules of Eurosur border surveillance system for EU member states to prevent, detect and combat irregular migration as well as save migrants’ lives.

Member states can use Eurosur system to share real-time images and data on developments at the EU’s external borders to improve the detection, prevention and combating of irregular immigration and cross-border crime.

The Eurosur has been designed to improve the EU’s external land and sea borders management by enabling information exchange including sharing real-time data and intelligence from various authorities and surveillance tools through a protected communication network, among member states and with the EU border management agency Frontex.

EU rapporteur Jan Mulder said, "Only by having a pan-European border surveillance system we can prevent the Mediterranean from becoming a graveyard for refugees trying to cross it in unseaworthy small boats in search of a better life in Europe."

"To prevent a tragedy like that off Lampedusa from happening again, rapid intervention is necessary," Mulder added.

Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland have agreed to Eurosur’s operating rules and will deploy the Eurosur in December 2013.
Other member states will follow suit on 1 December 2014.