To stop terrorism and improve security, in 2020 European countries will fingerprint and photograph all visitors without EU passports. The data collected, including four fingerprints and a facial photograph from each, will be stored for five years in a centralized database, and is modeled after a successful method used by the US Department of Homeland Security.

While not intended as a response to the European refugee crisis, the fingerprinting decision will contribute to the overall safety and strength of borders. The new system will cost 480 million euros to implement, and it is still being approved by EU member states and the European Parliament.