New powers to capture foreign national's biometrics
Tuesday 19th December 2006
Powers to compel foreign nationals in the UK to register their biometrics will
be considered by the Home Office in the New Year.
The power would be introduced on a rolling basis and would build on biometric
IDs for foreign nationals, which will be introduced from 2008, targeting those
applicants where cards will bring the greatest benefits, such as migrant workers
seeking to extend their stay in the UK.
This news comes as Home Office Minister Liam Byrne published a Strategic Action Plan for the National Identity Scheme (pdf, 901kb, new window) for the National Identity Scheme
and the Borders, Immigration and Identity Action Plan, which follow the wider
Home Office review earlier this year and signal the countdown to the introduction
of ID cards to UK citizens in 2009.
The plans further underline how the use of identity checks and biometrics,
including fingerprints, iris scans and facial recognition, will help secure
Britain’s border and crackdown on illegal working and fraudulent access
to services.
The plans show that:
between January and May 2006 there were more than 7,000 positive hits by
enforcement officers using mobile fingerprint equipment;
there were 6,000 alerts, resulting in 620 arrests following people identified
on warning lists attempting to travel on certain high risk routes into the
UK;
more than 1,500 people, who have previously claimed asylum or been fingerprinted
for other immigration purposes, have been identified trying to return to
the UK and have been caught out by new biometric visa processes;
more than 51,000 people have enrolled in the Government’s secure
immigration scheme Iris, exceeding the Government’s 40,000 target set
out in the IND Review; and
nearly four million facial biometric British passports have been issued.
Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said:
“We’re determined that Britain won’t be a soft touch for
illegal immigration. Compulsory biometric identity for foreign nationals
will help us secure our borders, shut down access to the illegal jobs, which
we know attracts illegal immigrants, and help fight foreign criminals.
“The technology is already making a difference, stopping illegal immigrants
returning to Britain once they’ve been deported, helping trusted travellers
pass securely through our borders and cutting down abuse of the asylum system.”
The Strategic Action Plan for the National Identity Scheme explains what the
scheme is, what it will deliver and when, setting out how it will provide services
to customers and plans for the National Identity Register. It announces plans
to initiate a series of strategic partnerships across Government and the private
sector that will shape the development of the scheme.
These real benefits will be realised by:
ensuring the scheme delivers the best return on investment. Much of the
cost of would be incurred regardless of the Scheme. Around 70 per cent of
the cost of the combined passport and ID card will be required to keep our
passports up to international standards;
keeping risks and costs down by using existing Government IT systems;
providing key safeguards which protect the privacy of the individual and
ensure the integrity of the Scheme; and
delivering a positive customer experience. The Identity and Passport Service
has a customer service reputation that is second to none. The Home Office
will ensure that those standards are maintained.
Notes to Editors:
For information about the National Identity Scheme go to www.ips.gov.uk
Biometric ID visas are currently issued at 42 posts abroad. By
2007 that will have been expanded to 150 posts and by 2008 we will have in
place biometric ID requirements for everyone outside the other 28 European
Economic Area (EEA) nations coming to the UK for work, study or to stay for
longer than six months, plus anyone coming to visit from the 108 visa nations.
From 2008 we will start to introduce biometric ID cards for foreign
nationals from outside the EEA who are already in the UK and reapply to stay
here, working with employers to trial these in areas where this will be most
useful to them.
