IDEMIA has released a position paper outlining five of the main recommendations for the biometric Entry-Exit System (EES) planned by the European Union with the intention of making border procedures more efficient and organised.

The company currently assists around thirty border checkpoints all over the world with creative solutions in order to help border management, StudyinPoland.Info reports.

In a press release issued by IDEMIA, it was pointed out that the purpose of EES is to improve border security and management for the EU Schengen Zone countries. The EES is set to be put into operation by February 2022. However, third-country citizens will need to provide more detailed information, particularly with regard to the biometric data which is needed to verify their identity.

IDEMIA explained that biometric e-gates would help decrease the high number of travellers that border guards need to handle. Furthermore, the use of functional management tools would make it possible to focus on cases that need special consideration.

“Taking and holding biometric data should be conducted with NIST-approved supplier technology, the company suggests, to ensure data capture and checking is reliable. Systems should therefore also have the capability for presentation attack detection (spoof fingerprints, masks) via passive detection systems,” the press release reads.

Through the utilisation of Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) data, the border authorities would be able to have a progressive understanding prior to travellers arriving at their destination.

IDEMIA suggests that a ‘one size fits all solution is unnecessary, taking into account that travellers have a diverse range of situations. Thus border checkpoints should be equipped with the needed tools to maintain flexibility at all times.

A number of the products of IDEMIA serve the recommendations, including the Travel Counter and a modular system that helps in efficiently capturing travellers’ data on one single screen.

The primary use of TravelCounter is to provide a faster and more secure passenger checking process at manual counters, introducing a hybrid observation of travellers’ data on one screen.

The company claims to provide superior biometric algorithms, presentation attack detection (PAD) and risk evaluation through the external applications and equipment that can be connected to international and internal border systems, such as EU-EES.

The system has already been launched in Benin, West Africa, with MorphoWave non-contact fingerprint biometric scanners, therefore modernising passenger checks at Cotonou International Airport.

Previously, the EU signed a contract to replace passport stamps with a biometric database to enhance border security in the region. Shortly afterwards, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) announced that it would launch the EES pilot project, which will significantly impact the work of border guards and the national authorities.