“The UK lost access to the Eurodac database and associated migration data-sharing cooperation after leaving the EU.” — British Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Our verdict: Unverified.
The claim was made by Andy Burnham, described in the report as British Prime Minister, in a voi.id article published on 27 October 2026 about freedom of movement with the EU.
Our verdict
Unverified
We could not find enough public evidence to confirm or refute the claim that the UK lost access to the Eurodac database and associated migration data-sharing cooperation after leaving the EU. The claim is plausible, but the sources we found are secondary analyses that do not settle the question.
Know something that settles it? Send us evidenceWhat we found
The claim was attributed to Andy Burnham in a voi.id report, which describes him as British Prime Minister and says he stated the UK had lost the ability to be part of Eurodac and cooperation in the exchange of migration data. We could not verify that quote or its context.
On the substance, two think-tank analyses of post-Brexit EU–UK cooperation on migration and asylum say the UK is no longer bound by the Eurodac regulation after withdrawing from the EU. Those are secondary sources, and they do not cover whether any migration-specific data-sharing arrangements still operate.
We also found that the UK keeps Prüm-based police and criminal justice data sharing under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which is not migration data but shows that some data cooperation continues. Because we found no primary legal texts, official government statements or court rulings, we cannot confirm or refute the claim.
The evidence
2 of 3 sources support the claim; none contradict it.
- Background
The voi.id report says Andy Burnham stated the UK has lost the ability to be part of Eurodac and cooperation in the exchange of migration data. [1]
- Supports the claim
A think-tank analysis of post-Brexit EU–UK cooperation on migration and asylum says the UK is no longer a participant in the Eurodac regulation following its withdrawal from the EU. [2]
- Supports the claim
A second version of the same analysis asserts that the UK ceased to be bound by the Eurodac regulation after withdrawing from the EU. [3]
What we could not confirm
- Whether the UK formally lost access to Eurodac, as opposed to ceasing to be bound by the regulation, is not confirmed by any primary legal text, official statement or court ruling in the sources we found.
- Whether all migration data-sharing cooperation ended, or whether some migration-specific channels such as bilateral agreements or Interpol remain, is not addressed by the sources we found.
- The accuracy and context of the quote attributed to Andy Burnham, and the description of him as British Prime Minister, could not be verified.
How we checked
We looked for primary legal instruments, official government statements and court rulings on the UK's access to Eurodac and migration data-sharing after Brexit, alongside the original report and think-tank analyses of post-Brexit cooperation. We could not find enough public evidence to confirm or refute the claim, so we invite readers who have relevant documents to send them to us. We reviewed 3 relevant sources.
Sources
- [1]voi.id · UK PM Andy Burnham opens up on freedom of movement with EU · October 27, 2026
- [2]d1xp398qalq39s.cloudfront.net · Post-Brexit EU–UK cooperation on migration and asylum · June 20, 2022
- [3]European Policy Centre (via d1xp398qalq39s.cloudfront.net) · Post-Brexit EU–UK cooperation on migration and asylum · June 20, 2022
Help us check this claim
We could not find enough public evidence to confirm or refute this claim. If you know of an official record, dataset, transcript or report that settles it, send us the link. We review every submission and update this fact check when the evidence changes the picture.
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