UK: Immigration politics and biometrics

The United States isn’t the only place where immigration politics — and the role of biometrics — are coming to the fore. They’re very timely issues in the UK, as well.

WorkPermit.com covers Prime Minister David Cameron’s policy prescriptions like the dew covers Dixie, here: Cameron announces tough reforms to UK immigration.

The Guardian provides some analysis here: Immigrants’ residents permits: how would they work?

The repeated refusal of GPs, social housing officers and social security staff to act as immigration officers also means that if more robust residence tests are to be introduced for other EU nationals then an easy and authoritative way is needed of checking how long they have been in the country and what their immigration status is.

Ministers have confirmed that they are looking at plans to take fingerprints and other biometric data to be stored on a card with a photograph and electronic signature from new arrivals from next year.

It is within this context that the beleaguered UK Border Agency is being broken up (BBC). The UKBA is currently responsible for border protection, visa & passport issuance, asylum cases, immigration law enforcement, etc.

FBI, DHS team up to nab border intruders with iris biometrics

FBI and DHS team up to nab border intruders with iris biometrics (NextGov)

The FBI is partnering with the Homeland Security Department to identify border trespassers by exchanging digital eye scans of booked offenders, bureau officials said.

Iris recognition — which matches a digital image of the unique, colored portion of an individual’s eye against archived photos — quickly ensures authorities have fingered the right crook, advocates say. Critics say iris capture invades privacy and wrongfully pulls immigrants into the deportation system.

IAFIS: Biometrics ID some rough customers crossing the New Mexico border

New Mexico border agents arrest 2 convicted murderers; seize pot (Las Curces Sun-News)

On Saturday agents assigned to the Lordsburg station encountered a group of people who illegally entered the United States. Biometric information was submitted into the Integrated Automated Identification System (IAFIS), which revealed that one subject, later identified as 40-year old Inocencio Noveron Sostenes from Mexico, was convicted of murder in 2004, and served several years in prison. The subject will be criminally prosecuted on a prior order of removal and returned back to Mexico after re-instatement.

The following day, agents assigned to the Interstate 10 checkpoint west of Las Cruces encountered a Jamaican national traveling in a rental vehicle to Los Angeles. The subject’s biometric information was submitted into the IAFIS Data Base. It revealed 44-year-old Sirano Thompson had an extensive criminal history to include, but not limited to, a conviction for attempted first degree murder in Florida.

South Africa to modernize border

Plan for new border agency at ‘advanced stage’ (Business Day)

“Many countries have taken steps to ensure that there is integrated management of borders to prevent traffic in illicit goods and passage of illegal foreign nationals,” she said. “We are developing a white paper that will be presented to the Cabinet. The agency will ensure greater co-ordination and better border management.”

Addressing the media for the first time since she took over the portfolio from Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Ms Pandor said her department was on track with its modernisation processes, which included upgrading IT infrastructure; live capture systems for identity documents, passports, permits and visas; and the new national population register system that would carry records of births and citizens.

Biometrics help ID fugitive officer at border crossing

Former officer arrested at bridge (Brownsville Herald)

He was arrested and accused in 2008 of being involved in unlawful firearm purchases and failing to appear at his arraignment, according to a 2009 news release from then-U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson.

Duenez walked up to the bridge and presented his Texas driver’s license and U.S. birth certificate, CBP said in a news release.

“Preliminary checks revealed that the individual, later identified as Armando Duenez, was a possible match to an arrest warrant and was referred to secondary for further inspection,” the press release states.

During secondary inspection, biometric checks through CBP and law-enforcement databases matched him to a U.S. Marshals warrant, according to CBP.

UAE: Iris border ID system detects 20,000 illegal entry attempts in 9 months…

…and almost 350,000 since 2003.

Iris scan prevented entry of 20,000 deportees into UAE: Director General of Abu Dhabi Police Central Operations (Emirates ID)

H.E. Major General Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Police Central Operations and Emirates Identity Authority Board Member, has unveiled that during the first nine months of this year, the iris scan succeeded in preventing the entry of 20,476 deportees and ex-convicts while trying to re-enter the UAE via the different entry points.

In news published in Al Bayan newspaper today, Al Raisi said the iris scan prevented the entry of 347,019 deportees to the UAE since the system was comprehensively put to use in September 2003 up to end of last September.

Biometric Borders

If yesterday’s theme was Biometrics and Children, today’s seems to be Biometric Borders.

New procedures for Schengen visa (Zawya – UAE) – The new procedure will introduce the collection of biometric data such as fingerprint scan and digital photo in order to prevent false identifications, identity theft and fraud.
See also: Dubai, UAE: Fingerprints needed for Schengen visa (with some background on Schengen)

Ukraine: We hope to speed up visa facilitation with EU (Kyiv Post) – Biometric passports are a key step in the process.

United States: Immigrants hope to work legally (Times Free Press)

Within just a month 82,000 young immigrants nationwide applied to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. So far, close to 64,000 have scheduled appointments for fingerprinting and photographing — which ICE refers to as “biometrics” — and 29 applications had been approved as of Sept. 13.

You say you want a revolution?

Australia: Customs eyes tech future beyond SmartGate (IT News)

The service issued a request for information (RFI) seeking solutions that “do not rely [on] simply implementing more of the current technology and associated traveller processing infrastructure”

Broad options sought by the RFI cover solutions to automate traveller border processing, verify biometric identity, supply traveller information, reduce queues, perform behavioural assessments, and offer “non-intrusive traveller concealment detection”.

Argentina streamlines cross-border travel with biometrics

Argentina strengthens migratory control (InfoSurHoy)

When a passenger places his or her finger on the fingerprint reader at the airport, the system instantaneously sends a message to the National Registry of Persons (RENAPER), the agency responsible for protecting the individual identity rights of Argentine residents.

“If the person who placed their finger on the reader does not match the individual shown in the documents, the system blocks the process and alerts the inspector,” Duval said. “We’ve already had some cases like this.”

When processing foreigners, the system compares the data with a record of their previous entries and departures in Argentina.

Canada and the US to require better ID from border crossers

Border law will demand travel docs from Canadians: Documents (Embassy)

Citizenship and Immigration Canada plans to introduce new legal rules that would force Canadians and Americans to present authorized travel documents such as passports when entering Canada, according to departmental notes.

Government documents obtained by Embassy under access to information legislation show the move, part of the perimeter security plan between Canada and the United States, will bring Canadian and American law closer.

Under the US Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, Canadians and others have had to pack official travel documents like passports since 2007 when they fly to the US, and since 2009 when driving or sailing there.

US: Border biometrics make a difference

US-VISIT Proves That Biometrics Make A Difference (Homeland Security Today)

On February 6, 2012, a man we’ll call “Walter” arrived at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas after a trip to Panama and applied for admission as a returning lawful permanent resident. He presented a valid Mexican passport and a valid US Permanent Resident Card. Everything seemed to be in order and the young man breathed a little easier.

But when the Customs and Border Protection officer directed “Walter” to place both of his hands on the US-VISIT Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) so all ten of his fingerprints could be scanned, “Walter” knew in his gut that he was in for a long day.

The full article is available here in HSToday’s magazine viewer.

UPDATE II: Remotely-Staffed US-Mexico Border Crossings

FEB. 9, 2012: Self-service U.S.-Mexican border crossing could be replicated (NextGov)

Under the agency’s plan, people carrying passports or other citizenship documents embedded with computer chips will approach kiosks to enter the United States. The kiosks will be mounted with digital scanners connected to a staffed entry point in El Paso, Texas, where CBP officers will see them through one-way video cameras and check their IDs. When near the scanner, the microchip, a radio frequency identification transmitter, signals a remote database to draw up biographical records and a photo of the document-holder. Officers then can confirm that the person in the database is the person on the camera.

AUG. 6, 2012
UPDATE:It looks like they’re installing something along these lines in Nogales, Arizona.

Avatar Officer Installed at Arizona-Mexico Border Station (Yahoo)

[Customs and Border Protection] CBP is actually installing an updated version of the University of Arizona’s kiosk—the original was tested at the station from December to March—to determine its ability to help enroll applicants in its Trusted Traveler programs at the Mexican border. The programs, also available for airline passengers, were created after 9/11 at various ports of entry into the U.S. to expedite preapproved, low-risk travelers through dedicated lanes and kiosks. All Trusted Traveler applicants must voluntarily undergo a background check against criminal, law-enforcement, customs, immigration, agriculture and terrorist databases. The process also includes biometric fingerprint checks and an interview with a CBP officer.

In Nogales, human CBP officers monitor the avatar-administered pilot-test interviews, which provide them with automated feedback uploaded wirelessly to an iPad tablet that these officers can use to conduct follow-up interviews.

AUG. 15, 2012
UPDATE II:
This robot border officer knows when you lie (Channel 3000)

Applicants for the program must undergo an interview and biometric fingerprinting to be eligible for the program — both of which can be performed by the AVATAR kiosk.

Derrick said the kiosk could process travelers in five minutes.

Travelers simply stand in front of the unit — which “looks like an ATM on steroids,” according to Derrick — and respond to yes/no questions asked in Spanish or English. “You speak to it like you speak to a person,” he said.

Their answers are monitored, with any unusual physiological responses passed on to “a human field agent” who then subjects them to “a more careful interview process,” said CBP spokesman Bill Brooks.

Unusual responses were not a sure sign of a lie, said Derrick. “There might be valid reasons for it beyond deception.”

The computer uses three sensors to assess physiological responses: a microphone, which monitors vocal quality, pitch and frequency; an infrared camera, which looks at pupil dilation and where the eyes focus; and a high-definition camera recording facial expressions.

Much more at the link.

It looks like this is much more than a tele-presence or biometric document authentication app. If this article is accurate, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is actually piloting an automated deception detector in the field and has settled upon voice as the most important thing to measure.

Technology Helps Reduce Number of Fake UK Passports

Fewer fake passports being found by UK’s border force (BBC)

The number of forged passports detected at ports and airports across the UK has almost halved in the past five years.

A Freedom of Information request by the BBC showed that border officials spotted 1,858 forgeries last year compared to 3,300 in 2007.

The UK’s border force said this was partly down to improved security measures and fraud checks.

Those improved security measures now include more sophisticated technology such as biometrics. Of course, there are some who assert that fewer detections result from less looking but professional security outfits usually know their business better than that.

Detections dropped 44%. Does anyone assert that they did 44% less looking? Of course not.

Euroborder Management News

Finland and the Baltic States Agree to Biometrics for Non-EU border control (Itar-Tass via FOCUS News Agency) 

 Internal Affairs Ministers of Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have signed a joint agreement proposing the introduction of biometric control.

The four agreeing countries have land borders with three non-EU countries. They are Russia, Belarus & Norway.

Norway is in the Schengen area. Russia and Belarus are not.

Map of EU countries
Map of Schengen countires

Daily Mail Calls for More Facial Recognition Technology at Borders?

The UK Daily Mail calls for more facial recognition technology at borders, but it is pretty hard to decode that from the article, as published.

The Daily Mail recently published an article about “facial recognition” stating that because humans can be confused while comparing a neutrally-posed facial photo to the live subject standing before them, it follows that “facial recognition technology needs to be upgraded.”

I agree, with a caveat. I’m all for adopting facial recognition technology (SecurLinx does great work in this field). The upgrading will come later.

The article makes a bit of a hash of the problem by muddling the very different processes by which humans and biometric facial recognition technologies do what they do to process visual inputs and, upon a quick read, takes a psychological study of how humans process visual information related to the faces of other people and assumes that those findings apply perfectly to technological biometric facial recognition systems. They don’t.

The observations of Rob Jenkins, Glasgow University Psychologist, actually argue for the increased use of facial recognition technology as currently on offer as an aide to human border agents along the lines advanced in an earlier post (Facial Recognition vs Human) & (Facial Recognition + Human).

A technology assisted human should outperform both a stand-alone technology and unaided humans.

On another note, the psychology surrounding how people (and wasps!) recognize faces is very interesting. The paper by Dr. Jenkins that seems to have the most bearing on facial recognition technology can be read here [pdf].

The paper is a little more skeptical of facial recognition technology than is warranted because the authors envision facial recognition technology as essentially aspiring to be a poor replication of the fallible neurological process rather than an augmentation of what humans do by coming at the problem from a completely different angle.

We suggest that a major attraction of using facial appearance to establish identity is that we accept it can be done in principle. In fact, we experience practical success every day because the system that has solved it is the human brain. The proliferation of ‘biologically inspired’ approaches to automatic face recognition reflects the willingness of computer engineers to model the brain’s success. Yet, psychological studies have shown that human expertise in face identification is much more narrow than is often assumed. Moreover, the process that most automatic systems attempt to model lies outside 1672 R. Jenkins & A. M. Burton Review. Stable face representations. From this perspective, disappointment in machine systems is inevitable, as they model a process that fails. Human limitations in face identification are not widely appreciated even within cognitive psychology, and seldom penetrate cognate fields in engineering and law. In §3, we offer an overview of the most pertinent limitations. For this purpose, we focus specifically on evidence from face matching tasks, as these directly address a problem that is common to security and forensic applications.

Canada, US Work Well Together on Border Issues

Canada-U.S. deal aims to smooth flow of refugees (Vancouver Sun)

the United States plan to join forces in order to better deal with “irregular flows” of refugees that turn up in North America or migrate within the continent, newly declassified documents show.

By 2014, the two countries will also begin routinely sharing biometric information about travellers, such as fingerprints.

And Canada is laying the groundwork for legislative and regulatory changes that will require all travellers – including Canadian and U.S. citizens – to present a secure document such as a passport or enhanced driver’s licence when entering Canada. Such a document is already required to enter the U.S.

A border isn’t really a big deal if those on both sides of it have the same rules about who can go in and out of the country.

The thing is, while sharing the world’s longest international border and the world’s largest trading relationship [PDF], Canada and the United States haven’t harmonized their immigration and visa rules — and they don’t wish to.

That’s all well within the scope of each sovereign country’s citizens to determine but it also implies that a lot of effort is required of both sides to make sure things operate smoothly. Biometric ID management technology can help.

Nigeria Looks to Biometrics to Help with Border Security

Committees To Investigate Absence Of Biometric Capture Machines (Leadership)

The House of Representatives in Abuja on Tuesday directed its Committees on Aviation and Interior to investigate the absence of biometrics data capture machines at the nation’s entry points.

This resolution followed a motion by Rep. Emmanuel Ekon (PDP–Akwa-Ibom) and 23 others, which was unanimously adopted without debate when it was put to vote by the Deputy Speaker.

Nigeria can’t be sure how much its unstable internal security situation is due to external forces until it gets better control of its borders.

It’s telling that Nigeria’s elected leaders are unanimous in their resolve to examine carefully how biometric systems might help. After all, Nigeria has a biometric election under its belt and it seems like the experience was a positive one.

h/t @m2sys

Biometrics ID Child Abuser Entering the US for the Fourth Time

Border Patrol Agents arrest convicted sex offender (Deming Headlight)

The subject’s biographical and biometric information was submitted into the “Integrated Automated Identification System,” or IAFIS. The system positively identified the subject and revealed that Ramos-Ruiz had a prior conviction from Iowa for sexual assault with intent to commit sexual abuse with-a-child in August 1987. The information also stated that he had been imprisoned for a period of two years.