“In Western Europe, the use of so-called electronic passports containing biometric information about their holders has already begun,” said IOM Director General Brunson McKinley, speaking in Minsk at a meeting of the Council of Ministers of Internal Affairs (CMIA) of the CIS countries. “Belgium was the first to issue such passports, and I dare say that soon there will be many more such examples,” noted the representative of the international organization.
“It is especially important to prevent a situation where the use of biometrics and the advantages of new technologies for migration regulation would become a privilege of a limited number of chosen countries. I believe that all CIS states can benefit from the use of improved identity documents, travel documents, and enhanced border control systems,” explained Brunson McKinley. In his opinion, “existing international norms set quite clear parameters for issuing such documents, in which standard biographical information is supplemented by biometric data on the holder's facial features stored on microchips.”
Brunson McKinley considers the use of biometrics a clear example of the successful application of modern technologies to regulate the migration process. “New technologies have significant potential and, when used properly, bring significant improvements to the migration regulation system. Biometric data are used, for example, in visa and passport registration, to prevent the issuance of duplicate documents, and also when checking persons who have applied for permission to enter a country,” he explained.
According to the head of the IOM, reports Interfax, biometric data can be used in identity documents issued to migrants, which “allows them to gain simpler and guaranteed access to social benefits in the host country.”