The Schengen Information System (SIS)
Go to page «Schengen»
SIS (Schengen Information System) is a database containing alerts on stolen objects and persons who are wanted for extradition, who are missing or who are subject to an entry ban for a particular country. At present, the SIS contains more than 13 million data records that can be accessed at any time - even at mobile controls – by the police forces, border guard corps and visa authorities of 24 EU member states as well as those of Norway and Iceland.
The SIS is currently undergoing modernisation by the EU. The start-up of the new SIS II, which Switzerland originally wanted to link up to, has been delayed due to technical problems on the part of the EU. Since the Swiss Federal Council wants to implement the Schengen/Dublin Convention as swiftly as possible, it decided on 16 May 2007 to participate in an interim solution known as the “SISone4ALL”. Operational implemention took place on 14 August 2008. Since this date, Switzerland has had access to the European-wide search database and has begun processing inquiries for information, the correction and deletion of data in the SIS database.
The lifting of identity checks at the borders and thus full operational cooperation in the fields of asylum (Dublin) and visa matters (Schengen visa) became operational with the entry-into-force of the Schengen Association Agreement SAA on 12 December 2008.
