German Interior Minister wants to see U.S.-style immigration register in Europe
German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich wants a US-style electronic immigration register introduced in Europe to check uncontrolled entry into the European Union.
According to a report in The Local, Friedrich said Germany is a popular destination for criminals and terrorists, and an online register of personal data would reduce undiscovered entry into the country. This online register, according to Friedrich, could also include biometric data.
The minister also suggested that travel should be made easier for business travellers, in reference to requests from Russia and Turkey for exemption from EU visa requirements.
Reported in BiometricUpdate.com, Finland and other Baltic countries have urged the European Union to beef up border security using high-tech biometrics technology, as Interior ministers of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania sent a joint appeal to the EU’s interior affairs commissioner.
Last year, a Dutch court asked the EU high court whether regulations obliging members states to use biometric passports infringe privacy. Specifically, the dutch court asked the EU to determine whether such data should be safeguarded, and whether fingerprint records should use for any other purpose besides the issuance of a passport or identity card.
According to a recent Biometric Research Note, once a European Union framework is completely standardized and accepted by member states for a biometric eID card, the Biometrics Research Group expects exponential growth within the eID market.
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