European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson visiting Tallinn

TALLINN - European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson is on a visit to Tallinn on Monday to visit the headquarters of the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) in the early morning.

The commissioner is meeting with the leadership of the agency to discuss the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the functioning of the European Union Visa Information System (VIS), the Schengen Information System (SIS) and ​Eurodac, the IT system that helps with the management of European asylum applications.

"We are in full solidarity with Ukraine and we recognize the courage and resilience of this people. At eu-LISA, we will do our utmost to ensure that the EU's border surveillance systems are fully operational and effective, in order to help EU member states successfully meet the challenges posed by the increase in migration caused by the attack on Ukraine. At a time when the Ukrainian people are fleeing their homes, it is admirable to see European citizens welcoming them in their homes. This is not an easy journey and we all here at eu-LISA are trying to make the border crossing process as smooth as possible with the systems we offer. We are ready and will continue to support the EU, its member states and the people of Ukraine in managing the consequences of this terrible war," Krum Garkov, executive director of eu-LISA, said.

Topics to be discussed at the meeting also include the agency's priorities for this year and its role in supporting the European Union's internal security. An important issue to be reviewed is the implementation of the new framework for IT systems used in border guarding and the interoperability of those systems.