The Cyprus Police has proceeded to locate and arrest persons wanted abroad, through the Schengen Information System (SIS), which has been fully operational since July 25. This was reported today at a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs, which was informed about the System's operating parameters.
A Police representative stated that between October 1-7 the system was evaluated and that its re-evaluation is pending in the field of returns. As he explained, with regard to returns of third-country nationals, all return decisions are registered in the SIS, so that it can be seen that they are being carried out.
The Commissioner for Personal Data Protection, Irini Loizidou Nikolaidou, informed the Committee that the system has been checked by her Office, both before and after its operation and noted that such checks will be carried out continuously.
In his statements after the meeting of the Commission, its President and MP of DISY, Nikos Tornaritis, stated that questions of a political nature arise from the operation of using the SIS in Cyprus, which is not a member of the Schengen area and the system is implemented, without there is legislation. Asked if this made the system vulnerable if challenged in court, Mr Tornaritis said this had also concerned him and that he had received assurances that the regulation prevailed.
"Legislations must be rushed and there must be legislation, because Cyprus must harmonize in practice with what is happening and what is co-decided in the EU", underlined Mr. Tornaritis. He also stated that information was requested on the stage at which Cyprus's evaluation process for full integration into the Schengen zone is and whether there are significant elements that prevent full integration.
As he said, the opinion of the competent political leaders, i.e. the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior, was requested, with their presence at a session of the Legal Committee, something, however, that has not been achieved until today. "A margin of two weeks was given to find a common time and day so that we could also exchange views at a political level on where Cyprus is going on this very important issue," he concluded.