IOM donates biometric recognition technology to Philippine Bureau of Immigration

The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) has been provided with new anti-fraud detection equipment from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) that uses biometrics to spot fake travel documents and impostors, according to a report by Rappler.

The “Verifier TD&B” imposter recognition solution acts as a standalone system so it will not have to be integrated into the Bureau’s existing technologies.

The technology was donated by IOM, with funding from the Canadian government, as a security measure in combating the rising number of human trafficking and illegal migration cases across the region.

“It is a system developed by IOM to provide immigration and border management agencies with an effective tool, which uses biometrics, for detecting fraudulent travel documents and impostors,” said Marco Boasso, IOM’s chief of mission to the Philippines.

The IOM has also donated document verification equipment to 10 ASEAN countries, along with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, to curb illegal immigration.

There are approximately 1 million illegal immigrants residing in the Philippines, along with somewhere between 900,000 and 1.5 million Filipinos staying in various host countries illegally, according to recent reports.

“It is used for secondary inspection,” said Neil Reeder, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines. “It will allow immigration authority control officers to detect fraudulent travel documents and also detect impostors, or those stealing someone else’s identity.”

Canada has a vested interest in the project “because of the heavy number of arrivals [from Canada] to this country and through this country,” said Reeder, adding that the Philippines “is the only country [in the region] with direct non-stop service to Canada.”

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  Canada  |  fraud prevention  |  identity theft  |  immigration control  |  International Organization for Migration (IOM)  |  Philippines