Germany plans to introduce a special electronic 'Ausweis' for foreigners
This initiative by the German authorities was recently announced by Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere. According to the politician, the new chip card with fingerprints will allow more effective fight against illegal immigration, and will also serve as a means of identification for payments and other online transactions.
The 'electronic residence permit' will be issued by local Foreigners' Offices with a maximum validity of ten years. According to the ministry, the new document is planned to be introduced from May 1, 2011, over several years, given that about 1.1 million immigrants from third countries apply for a residence permit or its extension each year.
Hans-Peter Uhl, domestic policy expert for the Christian Social Union (CSU) faction in the Bundestag, believes that overall the new measure will affect 4.3 million foreigners, including foreign relatives of EU citizens.
The German Federal Ministry of the Interior intends to test the innovation this year in 19 branches of the Foreigners' Office – in Dresden, Halle, Gern, Cologne, Munich, and Nuremberg. It is assumed that the testing will be conducted without the participation of the foreigners themselves. The pilot project will involve the administrations of Augsburg, Aschaffenburg, Ansbach, Bamberg, the districts of Rhein-Neckar and Neu-Ulm, as well as the State Office for Civil and Regulatory Affairs of the German capital.
By the way
Since November 2010, new electronic identity cards have been introduced in Germany for German citizens themselves. In addition to a photo, the built-in RFID chip can also store biometric data, including two fingerprints. The new card will allow online purchases or be used as an access pass to work. The card will store an electronic signature that will allow documents to be certified via the Internet. The electronic 'Ausweis' will include an electronic identification function (eID) that will allow users to verify their identity online if necessary.
Vladimir GUSHCHIN.
