In February, the European Commission proposed the biometric entry and exit system, as itnews.au reports. In 2008, the commission began working on automated systems to track visa-exempt travelers, relying on eGates, rather than the existing stamp system.
According to the itnews report, the EDPS has voiced particular concern over the necessity of an entry/exit system requiring ten prints, and also the level of access law enforcement would have to the data, as well as data-sharing outside of the EU.
“The EDPS would also like to draw attention to the Australian Movement Reconstruction database which could represent an alternative on how a similar system could work based only on alphanumeric data,” the report states, steering clear of a biometrics-based system.
The debate around a biometric entry and exit system as well as immigration in the United States is also on-going.
Reported previously, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted in favor of a biometric exit system at 30 of the largest airports in the country.
Although the system passed for these 30 large airports, the committee recently rejected a similar proposal which sought to introduce an exit system at all land, air and sea ports before immigrants could begin to receive legal status.
According to a report in the Washington Post, some U.S. Democrats said they support the establishing of a biometric system, though cost remains an issue, as estimates suggest this overhaul could cost several billion dollars and slow the implementation of immigration reforms.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Adam Vrankulj
Quelle/Source: Biometric Update, 22.07.2013