Integration of Passport and ID - Research Paper Example

The integration of passport and ID Introduction Passport is an important document needed for international travel. It is an authorization done by a country about the citizenship of a person. It is issued by the country in which the person being a citizen. A person can possess only a single passport. Passport contains information about a person as an individual. It contains a photograph of what the person look like and also the countries to which he has visited (Protecting your Passport Information, 2009). Passport is the property of the country, not that of the citizen and hence no modifications can be done in the passport by the passport holder. All modifications can be done in a passport by the passport issuing authority alone upon the request of the passport holder and the subsequent investigation done by the passport issuing authority about the authenticity of the information provided by the person. But the advancement in technology has made the people capable of doing alterations in the passport in order to misuse it. In fact, most of the international criminals and terrorists are using fake or manipulated passports with the help of modern technologies. Terrorism and war on terrorism are some of the familiar words of the current decade. At the time of writing this paper, news about a failed attempt to destroy an American plane by a Nigerian youth, a suspected Al Qaida member has caught the headlines of the news papers. “United States authorities are still awaiting information from Nigeria over the alleged involvement of a Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalab, who attempted to blow up a US plane, Delta Airline” (Amaefule et al, 2009). Reports show that the culprit has used fake passport to enter into the plane hiding his original identity. The American authorities are at present investigating how the suspected has entered the plane with explosives, fooling the security officials and the airport authorities using fake passport. The above incident and lot of similar recent incidents have forced the international community to think in terms of integration of the passport and ID system. It is not possible for a country alone to counter the terrorism like activities. International cooperation is necessary for that and passport integration is one such measure required to counter terrorism. By October 26, 2004, in order for a country to remain eligible for participation in the visa waiver programs its government must certify that it has a program to issue to its nationals machine-readable passports that are tamper-resistant and which incorporate biometric and authentication identifiers that satisfy the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) (Background on Biometric Passports, 2004). “The European Commission is about to announce the compulsory fingerprinting of all visitors to the EU, both visa holders and non-visa holders, along with automated border checks of EU nationals through the analysis of fingerprints and facial scans” (EU to announce fingerprinting for all visitors, 2008). “The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries will be required to produce passports with digital photographs by October 26, 2005. On that date, all VWP countries must also present an acceptable plan to issue passports with integrated circuit chips, or e-passports, within one year” (U.S. moves on biometric passport deadline - but not really, 2005). Tightening of security measure is of primary importance for all the countries and Britain is also not an exception. The UK passport service (UKPS) has already started an effort to integrate the issuing of passport with the national identity card scheme. As part of the passport integration process, the British citizen will get a passport book with electronic fingerprints in order to ease out the identification process of the people of British origin (Arnott, 2005).This paper briefly explains the advantages and disadvantages of the integration of passport and ID and various issues involved in this integration process. Integration of passport and ID The 9/11 World Trade centre attack has unveiled the ineffectiveness and vulnerability of security measures implemented in some of the most developed and advanced countries in the world like United States. If United States is easily accessible to the terrorists, probably the terrorists can implement their projects in any other countries in the world. The failure of the security systems and the innovative methods adopted by terrorists and other anti social elements forced all the countries to strengthen their internal and external security measures. It is easy to steal a conventional passport and make necessary corrections in it for making it belong to another person. Minor and professional alterations to the picture, name and other personal description in the passports can make them to the identity thieves (Bagdasarian, 2009). Such passports are used by the terrorists for cheating the authorities. Moreover, the passports of some countries are more valuable than others in the current world. Such valuable passports will give some extra facilities to the passport holder. For example, UK and US passport holders can enter most of the Middle Eastern countries without crossing any of the travelling barriers. They can even drive the vehicles in Middle Eastern countries without a driving licence issued by the domestic authorities. In most of the airports, the authorities may not pay more attention to the details of the passport holder if the person belongs to an origin of UK or US. On the other hand, in many of the UK and US airports, at present severe security checkups are going on if the person happens to be of a Muslim origin irrespective of what position he holds or from which country he belongs to. For example, recently a controversy developed between India and America, when an American airliner, harassed former Indian president and renowned scientist Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam at the airport in the name of security checkups. Thus passports or the ID proofs are important documents required for international travel and the integration of such things on a global basis is necessary at present especially in the era of globalization and liberalization. Combined or collective efforts are necessary between all the countries in order to prevent the intruders from crossing the borders. Most of the terrorists use fake passports to enter in any countries at their will in order to execute their missions. The conventional passport which contains the photograph as the major identification criteria can easily forged by the terrorists which forced the countries like UK to think in terms of the integration of passport and ID using the advanced methods of identification. Biometrics is one of the modern technologies which can be used to identify each person using fingerprints, voice recognition, face recognition etc. It is used extensively and effectively in credit cards at present which encouraged the British authorities to think in terms of using such advanced features in the allotment of new passports. Biometrics in passports In the aftermath of the tragic events of 11 September 2001, the EU was asked by Member States to take immediate action to improve document security. EU therefore decided to integrate biometrics in European passports. These identifiers will consist of a facial image and fingerprints, making it possible to combat fraud and falsification more effectively. Passports and travel documents will include a high-security storage medium for memorizing computerized data that will have sufficient capacity to guarantee the integrity, authenticity and confidentiality of that data. The storage medium will contain a facial image and two fingerprints taken flat. These data, which will be in interoperable formats, will be secured (Integration of biometric features in passports and travel documents, 2009) The first stage of integration of passport and ID program will be the introduction of the ePassport, consisting of a chip recorded with some biometric features. All the EU members were urged to include both a facial image and fingerprint scans in passports in order to strengthen the security features concerned with the issuing of passports. UK has already started the procedures for incorporating biometrics in passports as per the proposed EU standards (Arnott, 2005). But it is not possible to take the fingerprints of all the people. Children and physically handicapped (handless persons or persons with defective fingers) are exempted from taking the fingerprints. Biometrics seems to be the answers to all types of passport forgery. The individual characteristics unique for each person are used in biometric technology. Physical characteristics such as face - primary biometric, finger prints - secondary biometric and behavioural characteristics such as voice, body movements (Eye movements) etc are used extensively in biometrics to identify a person. The passport authorities will record either one of the biometric characteristics mentioned above for making and storing biometric template in the master computer at the time of issuing the passport. The passport holder needs to scan the particular biometric characteristics against a scanning system whenever he was going abroad or using the passport for some other purposes. (Biometrics, 2009) The figure given above explains a typical biometric system. The template with the biometrical identification entity is stored in a master computer at the time of issuing a passport. Consider a person with biometrics incorporated passport approaches an airport for transiting to another country. When the passport holder approaches the sensor of the biometric identification system in the airport, it scans the specified biometric entity of the person and compares it with the previously stored template. If the master computer recognizes the passport holder, it will send a matching signal to the machine at the airport which scanned the biometrics of the person. If such a matching instruction receives from the master computer the airport biometric system gives green signal for the transit of the person. Biometrics is an advanced method of identification of people using their physical traits such as fingerprints or face and behavioural traits such as typing rhythm, voice or body movements like the eye movements. Each person has unique features in their appearance and behaviour. By the natural law, no two individuals are alike either physically or behaviourally. Biometrics makes use of this great principle to identify each person. For example, the fingerprints of all the humans existing in the world are different. Even the siblings have different finger prints. Same way, the behavioural traits are also different for different persons. “There are a wide variety of biometrics, all of which are unrelated. Voice recognition, fingerprints, face recognition, hand geometry, etc. The technology for one of these has nothing to do with the technology for any of the others” (Callas, 2009) UK authorities have already started the implementation procedures of biometrics in passports. Even though confusions were there about the implementation of biometrics in ePassports, now everything seems to be settled down in UK. The UK Passport Service (UKPS), and the UK Government, finally accepts that a biometric passport need only consist of a digital photograph. However, the Passport Service does intend to complete trials of including a second biometric and intends to implement it by late 2007. The ePassport will only involve a digital photograph on a chip, even though earlier reports showed that it would involve iris scans and fingerprints (UK Passport to only include a digital photo but costs set to double, 2005) ID integration A new feature in the ID integration process is the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) which would allow for convenient, at-a-distance verification of ID. The RFID tags are tiny computer chips connected to an antennae that can be placed on or in any physical objects. The RFID chips contain unique identification codes which can be readable using suitable equipments placed at a distance. By instituting RFID chips in passports, governments could skip the proposals for a National ID card, and set a course toward the creation of a global identity document – or, at least, toward a set of global standards for identity that can be incorporated into a wide variety of national identity documents (ACLU testifies to Congress on dangers of biometric passports, 2004). The major advantage of RFID chips is the identification of a person from a distance. Suicide bombers are used extensively by the terrorists for executing devastating plots across the world. In airports it is easy for such people to enter into the terminal and execute their missions. The RFID chips in passports will allow the airport authorities to verify the identity of a person by keeping them at a certain distance before allowing them to enter into the terminal. The major disadvantage of such RFID chips is that anybody can read the data of such chips if they possess suitable reading equipments. In other words, even the terrorists can easily identify persons using such equipments and they can target a particular person or group of persons easily. Moreover, marketers and thieves also can identify a person or download the details of a person using the suitable data reading equipments. Benefits and Obstacles of integration of passport and ID Integration of passport and ID has many advantages and disadvantages. The integration of passport with the biometric features definitely will increase the safety, security and reliability of the system. Forgery complaints of passports will considerably be reduced since it is impossible to forge the fingerprints or the digital photographs. The integration procedure is comparatively inexpensive, fast and easy to use as well. “The beauty of a biometric trait is that it is as unique as the individual from whom it was created” (O’Sullivan, 1997). The major advantage of using biometrics in passports is the increased security. Terrorists normally use fake passports for crossing the borders. David Headley, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in October in connection with the Mumbai terrorist attack, travelled on a business visa; he got in touch with a US firm which specialised in creating fake visas and passports. According to information available with the IB, Headley visited Mumbai in 2006, 2007 and 2008 using a fake name David Headley. His actual name was Daood Gilani and in order to hide his Muslim ethnicity, he has deliberately changed his name to cheat the authorities. It is difficult for Headley like terrorists to cheat the authorities if the biometrics incorporated in his passport. The major disadvantage in the integration of passport and ID is the concern about the loss of privacy. Many people like to preserve privacy. In fact privacy is guaranteed by certain laws in many countries. But the incorporation of biometric features to the passport system may act as an intrusion into the privacy of the people. It is not possible to ensure 100% faultless operation by using the biometrics in the passport integration process as the fingerprint spoofing is an option for the passport forgers (Murray and Park, n. d, p.27) Another obstacle in the passport integration process is how to incorporate the biometric features in the Children’s passport. Children may change all the biometric characteristics like the physical shape, appearance, voice and behaviours when they grow up. Moreover, the fingerprints of the children may disappear more quickly from the surface than those of the adults and there is no point in using the fingerprints of the children in ePassports. The UKPS has already faced problems in issuing ePassoports to the children and the decision about how to incorporate the biometric features in Children’s passport has been postponed by the UK passport authorities. “Facial recognition contains a high likelihood of false non-matches, and false matches” (An Open Letter to the ICAO, 2004). It is not necessary that the machineries may perform adequately always. Wear and tear are part of the machineries and it is quite possible that the valid individuals are refused border entry and the invalid individuals may get permission to cross the borders because of the equipments failures Effect of integration of passport in the information management Passport is a document, issued by a government for the purpose of international travel. The government certifies the identity of the individual through the passport. The elements used for the identification purposes in conventional passports are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth. Moreover, a photograph was also provided in the passport for the identification purposes. The above information are not enough to meet the challenges of the current world and the more private and sensitive information needed to be included in the passports for the proper identification of a person and to avoid forgery of the passport. The passport integration process can affect various information management systems in UK. A centralised database of all individuals is proposed as part of the passport and Id integration process. Moreover, the Passport Office intends to create a database on all British citizens on a person-by-person basis, rather than the current database of all British passports, on a passport-by-passport basis. The UK passport authorities have planned to collect the biographical details of its entire citizens as part of the integration of the passport and ID. Moreover, passport authorities are taking preparations for conducting more comprehensive interviews with the passport applicants in order to make their system faultless as much as possible. The British government has already planned to merge the passport authorities with the Home Office Identity Cards Programme as association of these two department is inevitable to meet the challenges raised by the antisocial elements (UK Passport to only include a digital photo but costs set to double, 2005). Conclusions The integration of passport and ID is an essential requirement of the current world. Conventional passports have many disadvantages and loopholes which can be exploited by the antisocial elements and terrorists. It is easy for the terrorists to forge the passports and enter other countries without disclosing their identities. Most of the terrorists attacks happened in the recent times involved the usage of fake passports for the entry into the target country which demanded the integration of the passports and IDs on a global basis. Biometrics and its possibilities are widely used in the proposed integration of passport and ID. It is difficult to forge the biometrics like fingerprints, appearances or behavioural traits as all the individuals have unique biometric features. At the same time there are difficulties in preparing the passports for the children by using the biometrics. Children will lose most of their biometric characteristics like, appearance, behaviour and the finger prints as they grow. Increased security is the major advantage associated with the integration of passports whereas decreased privacy is the major worrying factor. It is easy to identify a person by keeping him at a certain distance using the new technologies which actually reduces the risks of handling the suicide bombers. At the same time, anybody having the necessary equipments can steal the identity of a person unknowingly if his passport consists of radio frequency identity (RFID) chips. Technology and science are advancing at a rapid pace which enables the authorities to incorporate advanced security features to the vulnerable areas. At the same time, the antisocial elements are finding new ways to fool the security systems. Fingerprint spoofing is one such thing. In any case, it is not possible for the authorities to stay calm amidst the increased threats from the terrorists and other intruders and the integration of passport and ID using the advanced features like the biometrics is one positive step taken by the authorities to strengthen their fight against the intruders. References 1. ACLU testifies to Congress on dangers of biometric passports, (2004), Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd[347]=x-347-60594 2. An Open Letter to the ICAO (2004), Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd[347]=x-347-103018 3. Arnott Sarah, (2005), ID cards/passport integration plan progresses, Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://www.v3.co.uk/computing/news/2071637/id-cards-passport-integration-plan-progresses 4. Amaefule Everest, Alechenu John and Ogunseye Toyosi (2009), US plane bomb attempt: Nigerian link worries Aso Rock, Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20091227150332 5. Bagdasarian Henry (2009), Passport Identity Theft, Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Passport-Identity-Theft&id=407192 6. Background on Biometric Passports, (2004), Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd[347]=x-347-61327 7. Biometrics, (2009), Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biometrics 8. Callas Jonathan (2009), Biometrics and credit card security, Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/expert/KnowledgebaseAnswer/0,289625,sid14_gci770615,00.html 9. EU to announce fingerprinting for all visitors, (2008), Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd[347]=x-347-560378&als[theme]=BTS Home Page 10. Integration of biometric features in passports and travel documents, (2009), Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/free_movement_of_persons_asylum_immigration/l14154_en.htm 11. O’Sullivan Oria, (1997), Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://www.banking.com/aba/cover_0197.htm 12. Protecting your Passport Information, (2009), Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://www.aboutidentitytheft.co.uk/passport-information.html 13. UK Passport to only include a digital photo but costs set to double, (2005), Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd%5B347%5D=x-347-168059 14. U.S. moves on biometric passport deadline - but not really (2005), Retrieved on 27 December 2009 from http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd[347]=x-347-243766&als[theme]=BTS Home Page Read More