Biometric ID documents herald a global identification system
01 May 2003
Nearly two years on from 11 September 2001 there have been a number of significant "casualties" as the "war on terrorism” is also a “war on freedom and democracy”. The first are the measures being put in place to exclude or remove refugees and asylum-seekers fleeing from poverty and persecution. Second, the targeting and stereotyping of resident migrant communities across Europe. All refugees, asylum-seekers and resident migrant communities are regarded as potential terrorists and if not terrorists then potential criminals. Third, are the moves across the EU to introduce the surveillance of telecommunications (phone calls, e-mails, faxes, mobiles and internet usage) of the whole population (see Statewatch vol 12 no 6).
A fourth sweeping move is now on the agenda - the introduction of biometric identifers on EU passports, visas and identity cards (and the introduction of biometric ID cards where they do not currently exist).
It was in 2002 that the USA announced that from October 2004 all travel documents for people arriving there have to have biometric details or passengers will face lengthy checks on arrival. Since then the proposals have been working their way through various international fora. On 5 May 2003 the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers of the G8 countries meeting in Paris endorsed a "Declaration" drawn up by the G8 Lyons group (police and security experts on organised crime) and the G8 Roma group (intelligence and security agencies). This then formed the basis of the decision taken by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO, a UN body) in Montreal on 28 May 2003.
On 3 June the Commission published a Communication on illegal immigration, which in passing said EU passports too could hold biometric details (COM(2003) 323). On the same day, 3 June, the Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union produced the first draft Conclusions for the Thessalonika EU Summit on 19-20 June - this too, under the heading of “Visas”, slipped in a commitment to introduce biometric data on "EU citizens' passports".
Although the Commission "spins" the line that this move is in response to the US demand, Jonathan Faull, Director-General of the JHA Directorate, told European Voice (10.7.03) that: "We would have done it without international pressure because we need more secure documents".
In 2002 the EU adopted two Council Regulations on a uniform formats for residence permits (1030/2002) and on uniform formats for visas (334/2002). However, the former expressly said that: "No information in machine-readable form shall be included in the residence permit". On 10 December 2002 the Benelux governments (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) called for an amendment to allow the inclusion of biometric data and on 28 January the German government called for biometric data in both measures.
Visa data is to be held on the new VIS database which will be integrated into new SIS II EU-wide computer system (Schengen Information System). In all likelihood the biometric data on EU citizens' passports will also be held on SIS II.
There are three forms of biometric data available: fingerprints, iris-scans and facial scans. Even though fingerprints are a universally available standard the ICAO (on the recommendation of the G8's law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies) has opted for "facial scans". The scans of people's faces will be held on a computer chip on passports or visas and also stored on national computer systems so that a person's identity can be checked.
The decision for the EU to adopt biometric data on EU citizen's passports, visas for those visiting, resident's permits for third country nationals (and moves for similar ID cards at national level) has already been taken in principle through international fora (G8, ICAO, WCO etc) without any public debate or parliamentary discussion at any level.
The ICAO statement says biometric documents although being developed for air travel would also be "effective" at seaports and land borders lead in time to a "global identification" system.