The police are now beginning to conduct stricter checks of passenger lists on flights to Arlanda.
Later this year, checks may be tightened further in order to tackle serious crime.
Advance Passenger Information (API) means that travellers flying to Arlanda from a country outside the EU and Schengen will have their passport details sent to the police in advance. These details are then scanned by the police's new PITA system.
If the scan shows one or more individuals, they can be handled by the police upon arrival in Sweden. The directive was introduced into Swedish law in 2006, following an EU decision, but was previously managed manually.
"– Then we requested passenger lists from the airlines; it was paper-based handling that wasn't automated," says Patrik Engström, head of the border police.
On 1 August, border control may be further tightened. The Law Council is currently processing a referral based on EU's PNR (Passenger Name Record) rules.
The PNR rules go further than API and provide the police with details of, among other things, itinerary, luggage and payment methods as soon as someone buys a flight ticket to or from the EU.
However, the data may only be used against persons suspected of terrorism or other types of serious crime.
– These tasks are also handled in secure and separate systems. They are not sent via email, for example, says Patrik Engström.
Source: TT
