European travel information and authorisation system (ETIAS)-mass protection or mass control?

Significant and frequent population fluctuations have prompted the European Union (EU) to address migration challenges since 2015 by implementing information technology systems utilising artificial intelligence (AI). Schengen Area member states aim to enhance security, prevent unauthorised migration, and protect public health by mitigating risks associated with visa-exempt third-country nationals. To operationalise these objectives, the European Commission proposed the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) in 2016, which was adopted in 2018. ETIAS is designed to issue travel authorisations for visa-exempt third-country nationals and to collect relevant information on travelers prior to their arrival at the external borders of the Schengen Area. The collection, processing, storage, and, in certain cases, sharing of special categories of personal data for ETIAS travel authorisation purposes have raised concerns regarding the underlying intentions of the EU. This paper examines the features and practical implications of ETIAS, offering a new perspective on EU border management. It evaluates the system's effectiveness in enhancing security through migration control at the external borders of the Schengen Area and questions whether ETIAS achieves its stated objectives or, instead, infringes on the human rights of visa-exempt third-country nationals, particularly their rights to privacy and data protection, in pursuit of broader surveillance and mass control goals.