Screening of migrants at EU borders
EU screening rules ensure that people arriving at the EU's external borders are identified, undergo the necessary checks and are quickly referred to the appropriate asylum or return procedure.
What is screening
Screening is a short, structured process carried out at the EU's external borders and, in certain cases, within the EU for third-country nationals who do not meet the conditions for entry. It helps national authorities quickly:
- establish a person's identity
- identify any health or security risks
- assess vulnerabilities or special protection needs
The screening regulation is part of the pact on migration and asylum, the EU's framework for managing migration and asylum. It sets common rules for checks and for registering people subject to screening. It also ensures that, after screening, people are quickly referred to the appropriate procedure.
Depending on their circumstances, a person who undergoes screening may be referred to the asylum procedure or a return procedure.
By establishing a consistent approach to screening across the EU, the regulation helps improve the management of irregular arrivals and strengthen security at the EU's external borders. It also helps identify potential public health and security risks.
EU asylum and border procedures
Checks and identification of the correct procedure
The screening process includes common health, identity, vulnerability and security checks for certain third-country nationals who do not meet the conditions for entering the EU.
Screening must be carried out within a limited timeframe, generally near the EU's external borders. It can take up to seven days. It applies to people who:
- cross an EU external border by land, sea or air without meeting the entry conditions
- are brought ashore following a search and rescue operation at sea
- are apprehended within the EU after initially avoiding checks at the external border, in which case screening must be completed within three days
Screening includes:
identification or verification of identity
health and vulnerability checks
security checks, fingerprints and registration in the Eurodac database
Information collected during screening is checked against relevant national, EU and international databases, in line with EU data protection rules. The screening also collects information that can be used in the subsequent asylum or return procedure.
Once screening is complete, the national authority that carried it out refers the person to the authority responsible for the appropriate asylum or return procedure and transfers the screening form.
Protecting fundamental rights during screening
EU member states must respect fundamental rights throughout the screening process and comply with relevant EU and international law, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Geneva Convention relating to the status of refugees.
Each member state must set up an independent monitoring mechanism to oversee compliance with fundamental rights, the principle of non-refoulement, which prevents people from being returned to a country where they could face persecution, and rules on detention, where detention is used during screening.
People undergoing screening must be informed, in a language they understand or are reasonably supposed to understand, about the process and their right to apply for international protection. Their basic needs and physical and mental health must be protected, and particular attention must be paid to children, including by considering their best interests and providing information in a child-friendly and age-appropriate way.
People can report concerns or complaints about possible fundamental rights violations to the relevant monitoring bodies. Organisations and professionals providing advice and counselling must also have effective access to people undergoing screening.
Se også
Pagt om migration og asyl
Eurodac: EU's asyl- og migrationsdatabase
Asylum and migration management
Seneste gennemgang: 25. september 2026
