TESTA helps identifying asylum seekers and persons who have crossed an external frontier of the European Union in an irregular manner

National asylum authorities rely on TESTA, a data communication network service supported by ISA², to exchange information on European Asylum Applications through the Eurodac biometric system (European Dactyloscopy System). 

Eurodac establishes an EU asylum fingerprint database, managed by eu-LISA, enabling Member States to compare the fingerprints of asylum applicants in order to see whether they have previously applied for asylum or entered the EU irregularly via another Member State.  

TESTA is a European backbone network for data exchange between a wide variety of public administrations. It provides guaranteed performance and a high level of security and interoperability. The network is used by EU institutions and agencies, as well as EU countries and organisations acting on their behalf.

Since it was established in 2003, Eurodac has proved to be a very important tool providing fingerprint comparison evidence to assist with determining the EU countries responsible for examining an asylum application made in the EU. Law enforcement authorities and Europol can also access the system – under strict conditions – to prevent, detect and investigate terrorist and other serious criminal offences.
Want to know more? Sign up for the webinar organised on 23 March 2021 by the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), in collaboration with CEPOL.