January 19, 2003	Sunday	Ziqa'ad 15, 1423

BRUSSELS: Asylum seekers in Europe faced a new hurdle from this Wednesday, when the EU officially launched a centralised fingerprinting system operating from Brussels.

Some 10-20 per cent of the 400,000 people seeking asylum in the EU ever year are estimated to be involved in so-called “asylum shopping” — seeking out the countries which offer the best conditions. But from Wednesday, all applicants over the age of 14 will be fingerprinted at their point of entry into the union. Anyone crossing a border and found to have applied for asylum in another member state will be returned there.

Eurodac will be supervised by an independent watchdog. Fingerprints are to be stored for a maximum of 10 years and will be erased if an asylum seeker gains full citizenship.—Dawn/The Guardian News Service.