Changes include power to collect children’s data without parental consent.
Australia is pushing legislation to expand the types and amount of biometric data it can collect at immigration checkpoints.
The new bill introduced this month would give the Department of Immigration and Border Protection power to collect more data, including from minors, when the need arises because the country faces higher terrorism-related risks.
“Recent border and terrorism-related events in Australia and worldwide illustrate the need for measures to strengthen community protection outcomes,” says the outline of the Migration Amendment (Strengthening Biometrics Integrity) Bill 2015.
In addition, as the department opens up electronic channels for visa applications, it needs to collect more biometric data to verify the identities of people trying to enter the country.
Currently, officials can collect facial images, signatures and, in some circumstances, fingerprints. The new law would ensure that officials can collect any type of personal identifier, including fingerprints, handprints, a person’s height and weight, photograph of a person’s head and shoulders, an audio or video recording of a person, iris scan and signature.
The financial impact of this change will be low, the bill said. “Any costs will be met from within existing resources of the Department”.
The bill also expands the range of people from whom the government can collect biometric data to include unauthorised maritime arrivals, foreigners applying for any types of visa, visa holders who have been accused of identity fraud and Australians entering or leaving the country.
Currently, it collects biometrics from illegal foreign fishermen, refugees claiming onshore protection, visa applicants from high-risk countries, and foreigners refused entry at Australian international airports.
The government will not collect biometrics from every foreigner entering Australia, the bill said. The intention is to give the government “flexibility to require personal identifiers in some circumstances”or “to not require personal identifiers unless the circumstances warrant [it]”.
Fingerprint checks could also be implemented at airports and seaports. The data will be checked against government databases to verify identity, but will not be retained after the check is complete.
The government is also looking to collect biometrics from children and disabled people without need for consent from a guardian.
This is aimed at protecting people from being trafficked or smuggled, the bill said. It will be used to get around situations where a guardian may prevent the collection of personal identifiers, by leaving the identification test room, for instance.
This power will be used only in limited circumstances, it reassures, and is not a universal policy. “Only a small number of minors will be affected by the amendments in specific circumstances and on a case-by-case basis, including offshore to protect persons from people smugglers and traffickers and to facilitate the genuine travel of minors and incapable persons to Australia.”
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Medha Basu
Quelle/Source: futureGov, 19.03.2015
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