Biometric Solution to Irregular Migration

September 1, 2017

The International Organization for Migration is working on introducing a Regional Biometric Data Exchange Solution (RBDES) to countries around the world in an effort to address irregular migration.

The RBDES will enable law enforcement agencies to exchange biometrics data in a fast and secure way to verify the identities of travelers at borders. The system does not however store biometric data.

This framework could help governments in Southeast Asia, in particular, to address the numbers of identity and travel document fraud that happen in this region. The International Organization for Migration is currently in talks with seven undisclosed countries to implement RBDES.

Cooperation will be a key factor in successful implementation and the RBDES could provide the required technology to improve countries’ national migration and border management systems, for example by quickly confirming the identity of someone who had their passport stolen.

Kylie Bull began her career in television news at ITN in the UK before moving to print journalism. She has been an editor at IHS Jane's for sixteen years, where she continues today, and was recently the managing editor at Homeland Security Today. Bull has reported on a wide variety of security, geopolitical and counterterrorism subjects and has interviewed world leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

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