EURODAC (Identification of applicants) helps; by matching fingerprints to make it easier for EU States to determine responsibility for examining an asylum application by comparing fingerprint datasets. Since its creation in 2003 ; EURODAC has been used for asylum purposes only: when someone applies for asylum; no matter where they are in the EU or in any of the countries participating in this cooperation; their fingerprints are transmitted to the central database.

EURODAC contains only fingerprints (along with data and place of registration) and no other personal information. Hence EURODAC facilitates the judicious and transparent receipt and processing of asylum applications from those who may need the protection afforded by Europe. The countries using the system are the 27 EU Member States and Associated Countries (Iceland; Liechtenstein; Norway and Switzerland).

Statistics are available to the public as analyses presented in studies on annual basis.

Statistics of interest:

• applicants for international protection [category 1]
• Irregular border crossings/unauthorised entry [category 2]
• Unauthorised stay of third-country nationals [category 3] (Persons found illegally present within a MS territory; to be noted that this category is not mandatory; therefore data on this should be used for analysis with due care)
• Intra-Schengen secondary movements (cat1/cat2; hits cat1/cat1; cat3/cat1)

MS and Associated countries transmit data to the Central System (which is managed by eu-LISA) in accordance with the Recast Eurodac Regulation.