Reference Migration Board
"The biometric solution in all our offices around the world makes everything much safer and more efficient – to a lower total cost."
Background
The Migration Board was in 2005 assigned by the Swedish government to develop and operate the national section of the common European Union Visa Information System (EU-VIS) and the technical solution for issuance of e-passports outside Sweden. EU-VIS is an enormous database for all Schengen countries and its main purpose is to improve the administration of the common visa policy and to contribute towards international security and combat terrorism. Fingerprints of all fingers from both hands, is captured and stored together with an ordinary photograph when handling visa applications. The biometric information is then stored in a central database located in Strasbourg and St Johann in Austria. Within Europe, The VIS will contain biometric information of 80-100 million people, thus become one of the largest databases in the world when completed.
The overall objective of the future VIS is to improve the administration of the common visa policy, the consular cooperation and the consultation between central consular authorities. On an operative level, the idea is to facilitate the visa application procedure, to prevent visa-"trade”, facilitate checks at borders and to assist in the identification of people, who are ineligible to enter, stay or take up residency within the territory of the Member States. The data is also used to help prevent threats to the internal security of the Member States. The data recorded in the VIS are: alphanumeric data of the applicant and previously requested, issued, refused, annulled, revoked or extended visas. Photographs and fingerprints are also recorded.
Prerequisites and Problems
All Swedish embassies and consulates around the world will be equipped with new technical platforms for global operations. This will enable the capture of biometric data from applicants for their visa application. The Migration Board had to coordinate all the issuances of documents, which required the usage of the same and secure equipment.
The new technical platform is thus the hub of the Migration Board’s future work with identity cards, passports, other types of permits and travel documents. The Migration Board wanted a full-service supplier that could provide the total solution, from advanced implementations to the provision of functioning service and support. They also wanted a supplier who could take care of the logistics, a process that requires enormous planning and close cooperation with various authorities.
The Solution
After careful evaluations it became obvious that Speed Identity AB would provide the most optimal product and solution. It began then with a successful pilot study at the Swedish embassy in London. In 2007, the solutions were provided to Swedish embassies and consulates around the world. 136 Speed Capture machines, tailored for the Migration Board, were installed in 94 countries. In Sweden, 44 units were placed in 13 different locations.
In order to ensure the correct biometric information is captured through the intact digital chain, the “Live Enrolment”, administrative personnel controls the entire procedure of the visa application.
Speed Identity’s Speed Capture equipment supports all of the required standards; ISO 1979-4 for fingerprints and thus complies with the new EU Directive for travel documents.
Because of the intact digital chain, the risk of manipulating the image is reduced. Speed Capture solution streamlines the production process of identity documents and creates a more efficient working environment for the administrative personnel handling the visa applications.
The less paper reliant solution minimises the need for physical archives and reduces the time required to issue the document, since the application is sent electronically to the manufacturer of the documents.
The Migration Board will also use the same technique when working with asylum applications. They will use it to secure fingerprints and produce LMA-cards, issued to asylum seekers during the processing their application.
Results
Speed Identity’s biometric solutions have dramatically increased the level of security around the world. In addition, there are huge advantages that the same system is found everywhere. This consistency gives the personnel security and the level of efficiency has been increased.
Testimonials
- "Thanks to us having biometric solutions at our offices around the world, we have now managed to standardise our procedures. This makes it a lot easier for our personnel to move from one office to another. The same system everywhere gives us enormous advantages, "says Daniel Andersson, project leader for legal issues and travel documents at the Migration Board.
- "Thanks to Speed Identity’s full-service solution, we felt from the start very safe and happy, from the development to implementation to service and support”, says Gunilla Hjort.
- "The development and customisation of the Speed Capture Unit to suit our purposes and objectives has been a process where Speed Identity has been sensitive and professional to our requirements." says Mats Karlsson, Project Manager for the VIS project.
Please contact us at Speed Identity for more information!