1. The screening provided for under this Regulation shall apply to all third-country nationals, regardless of whether they have made an application for international protection, who do not fulfil the entry conditions set out in Article 6 of and who:
(a) are apprehended in connection with an unauthorised crossing of the external border of a Member State by land, sea or air, except third-country nationals for whom the Member State concerned is not required to take the biometric data pursuant to Article 22(1) and (4) of for reasons other than their age; or
(b) are disembarked in the territory of a Member State following a search and rescue operation.
2. The screening provided for under this Regulation shall apply to all third-country nationals who have made an application for international protection at external border crossing points or in transit zones and who do not fulfil the entry conditions set out in Article 6 of .
3. Third-country nationals who have been authorised to enter pursuant to Article 6(5) of shall not be subject to the screening. However, third-country nationals who are authorised to enter pursuant to Article 6(5)(c) of that Regulation and who make an application for international protection shall be subject to the screening.
Where it becomes apparent during the screening that the third-country national concerned fulfils the entry conditions set out in Article 6 of , the screening of that third-country national shall end.
The screening may be discontinued where the third-country nationals concerned leave the territory of the Member States, for their country of origin or country of residence or for another third country to which the third-country nationals concerned voluntarily decide to return and where the return of those third-country nationals is accepted.