Iceland enacts the provisions of Asylum Migration Management , Eurodac and crisis and force majeure Regulations

The Act introduces amendments to the Act on Foreigners No. 80/2016 and the Police Act No. 90/1996 in order to align national legislation with recent European Union developments in the field of asylum and migration management, asylum procedures, and cross-border security cooperation. In particular, it incorporates obligations and legal effects from Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 (AMMR), Regulation (EU) 2024/1358 Eurodac Regulation, and Regulation (EU) 2024/1359 on emergency and force majeure situations in the area of migration and protection.

The amendments to the Act on Foreigners introduce updated definitions of EU migration management cooperation (AMMR cooperation), revise procedural safeguards and time limits for appeals concerning inadmissibility decisions, and clarify procedural requirements before the Immigration Appeals Committee. The Act further repeals outdated statutory references and introduces a new legal obligation for applicants for international protection to cooperate with competent authorities, including the provision of information and participation in interviews, and provides for non-cooperation which potentially affecting procedural timelines and case handling. 

In addition, the Act establishes the legal basis for the implementation of the Eurodac Regulation, including the collection and processing of biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images for specified categories of third-country nationals, and provides for the integration of such data into the EU-wide database under strict regulatory conditions. It also strengthens provisions governing the determination of the Member State responsible for examining applications for international protection and extends delegated regulatory assignment concerning implementation measures.

With regards to the collection and processing of biometric data of third-country nationals within the context of immigration and asylum procedures the amended act, stipulates grounds that photographs and fingerprints may be taken for case-handling purposes where a foreign national is unable to establish identity, is suspected of providing false identity information, applies for or has been refused international protection, is admitted under government invitation, is intercepted during irregular border crossing, has been subject to removal measures, or is otherwise residing unlawfully in the territory.

The provisions further authorise the inclusion of facial images, fingerprints, and associated identifying personal data in the European Fingerprint Database (Eurodac), in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1358, thereby ensuring interoperability with the Union-level biometric identification system. This authorisation applies uniformly to foreign nationals aged six years and above, thereby setting a minimum age threshold for biometric registration under the applicable legal framework.

The amendments to the Police Act provide for broader access by the police to European Union large-scale information systems for law enforcement purposes, including systems relating to borders, visas, travel authorisation, and identity management. The amendments also introduce provisions enabling the automated exchange of facial images in accordance with applicable European Union requirements on data exchange.

Finally, the Act establishes dates of entry into force. The provisions related to AMMR and Eurodac enter into force on 12 June 2026, whereas the relevant amendments of the Police Act on the interoperability of the EU Information Systems will enter into force on 1 July 2026.