Since 2013, the European agency eu-LISA has been in charge of its management and development, responsible not only for ensuring that it works at all times, but also that it is a robust and interoperable system with all the databases involved. Although it may appear to be a complicated structure, it maintains an agile operation. “You can fight criminal activity very quickly,” defends Garrido. “It has become an instrument of enormous security efficiency.”
Development
In the 30 years it has been in operation, the SIS has undergone two updates since that first model that showed basic functionalities with limited information. In 2013, the second-generation SIS, or SIS II, was implemented, which adapted to new technologies by incorporating more information into alerts, such as fingerprints or photographs, as well as increased security. Ten years later, in 2023, SIS-RECAST, which is still in force today, came into operation. This new version introduces changes derived from the updates of the European Regulations governing the Schengen area, which result in increased cooperation between countries, increasing access to more competent national authorities, such as migration authorities. In addition, it adopts new ways of locating and identifying wanted persons, as well as additional tools and categories of extra alerts, and reinforces controls at external borders.
The evolution of the system has included other updates. For example, while fingerprint storage comes into effect with SIS II, 2018 sees the launch of an automatic fingerprint identification system (AFIS) that allows identification solely by this route. With SIS-RECAST, this model adds additional biometric data, such as prints and palm prints or DNA profiles of missing persons or their relatives. “The revamped SIS reflects the EU’s shift towards a modern digitized and interoperable border management framework,” Ojeda summarizes. Its development “is part of wider EU digital initiatives and the EU interoperability framework between large-scale IT systems,” even though the technology used since its inception remains similar. “No cloud computing or AI technology is used at the moment,” he explains. However, these are options that will be considered when discussing the future of the SIS.”
