UK declares new int'l fingerprint checking deal
Friday, 28 August 2009
FE Report
The UK Home Office has announced a new international agreement on exchanging migrants' fingerprints to further strengthen the ongoing global fight against illegal immigration.
Under the agreement, the UK, Canada and Australia will be able to check fingerprint information of migrants, including foreign criminals and asylum applicants, against relevant databases in the participating countries, said a British High Commission statement Thursday.
The statement said the agreement would make it easier to identify migrants who try to hide their identities and their past. It will reveal their real identities where these were not previously known, making it easier to obtain travel documentation and speed up their removal.
Fingerprint exchanges will also help genuine applicants by confirming their accounts. At the same time, personal information continues to be properly protected.
On the occasion, Jonathan Sedgwick, the UK Border Agency's Deputy Chief Executive, said: "We are continuing to expand our watch-lists, work more closely with foreign governments to share information, and speed up the re-documentation of those being removed."
"This new agreement will help us identify and remove individuals whose identities were previously unknown, and also improve public security through better detection of lawbreakers and those coming to the UK for no good," he added.
The new data-exchange agreement will support the checks that the UK already undertakes with its European partners. The trials have already delivered results, the statement added.
The agreement has been developed through the "Five Country Conference", a forum in which the UK, Australia, Canada, US and New Zealand co-operate on immigration and border security issues. The five countries have signed a declaration to pursue biometric data-sharing for immigration purposes.
Australia, the UK and Canada will start exchanging data as part of a 2009 study into the feasibility of routine data sharing. The US will join soon, and New Zealand is developing appropriate legal and policy frameworks before joining the feasibility study.
The UK Home Office has announced a new international agreement on exchanging migrants' fingerprints to further strengthen the ongoing global fight against illegal immigration.
Under the agreement, the UK, Canada and Australia will be able to check fingerprint information of migrants, including foreign criminals and asylum applicants, against relevant databases in the participating countries, said a British High Commission statement Thursday.
The statement said the agreement would make it easier to identify migrants who try to hide their identities and their past. It will reveal their real identities where these were not previously known, making it easier to obtain travel documentation and speed up their removal.
Fingerprint exchanges will also help genuine applicants by confirming their accounts. At the same time, personal information continues to be properly protected.
On the occasion, Jonathan Sedgwick, the UK Border Agency's Deputy Chief Executive, said: "We are continuing to expand our watch-lists, work more closely with foreign governments to share information, and speed up the re-documentation of those being removed."
"This new agreement will help us identify and remove individuals whose identities were previously unknown, and also improve public security through better detection of lawbreakers and those coming to the UK for no good," he added.
The new data-exchange agreement will support the checks that the UK already undertakes with its European partners. The trials have already delivered results, the statement added.
The agreement has been developed through the "Five Country Conference", a forum in which the UK, Australia, Canada, US and New Zealand co-operate on immigration and border security issues. The five countries have signed a declaration to pursue biometric data-sharing for immigration purposes.
Australia, the UK and Canada will start exchanging data as part of a 2009 study into the feasibility of routine data sharing. The US will join soon, and New Zealand is developing appropriate legal and policy frameworks before joining the feasibility study.