The European Commission has published plans for an electronic border entry system to control the movements of non-EU nationals.
Using biometric data, especially fingerprints, the commission argues it would cut down on the biggest category of illegal immigrants into the EU, those who enter legally but stay on beyond the term of their visa.
In a package approved this morning, the EC calls on member states to use technology to control the outer borders of Europe, to make it easier for what it calls honest travellers to enter the EU.
Among the proposals is an electronic entry/exit system for the EU's external borders. Non-EU citizens would have to submit biometric data, including fingerprints, to enter the EU.
Such data would be registered, and if non-EU citizens overstay the terms of their entry, normally 90 days, they will appear on an illegal immigrant database which can be checked anywhere on EU territory, making it easier to establish who is an illegal immigrant.
The commission also calls for regular travellers to be able to fast track their way through immigration checks by opening up a Registered Traveller scheme to non-EU citizens, allowing suitably screened foreigners effectively the same entry rights as EU citizens.
But these measures may not apply to Ireland, as it is not part of the Scengen free travel area.
EU Security Commissioner Franco Frattini has said it is up to Britain and Ireland to decide whether they want to join the new controls.
New joint lobby against Immigration Bill
The move comes as a new joint lobby involving five immigration organisations warned that the Government's proposed Immigration Bill could see vulnerable people deported unfairly.
The five organisations say provisions in the bill could see some migrants who may have become undocumented through no fault of their own being deported before they can regularise their situation.
The Immigrant Council of Ireland, the Irish Refugee Council, the Migrants Rights Centre, the Refugee Information Centre and Integration Ireland launched a joint initiative to oppose the bill this morning.
The groups say the bill is unclear about what conditions people can come to Ireland and fails to recognise the importance of family reunification.
They also say the bill does not provide for an independent appeals mechanism which could deny migrants the opportunity to challenge decisions affecting their human rights.
