Britain plans to introduce iris scans at five airports next year

LONDON – The British government said yesterday it would introduce a pilot iris scanning system at the country’s five busiest airports next year in a bid to increase security and speed immigration controls.

The home office said selected foreign travellers – including foreign students, work-permit holders and nationals from outside the European Union who are resident in Britain – would be invited to sign up to the scheme. After being vetted, their irises would be scanned and they would be able to pass through a dedicated immigration channel at the airports.The project will begin by mid-2005 at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester and Birmingham airports, the government said.It said the system would remain voluntary but that it hoped one million people would sign up within five years.Home Office Minister Des Browne said the technology would “ensure that our controls are robust enough to let in only those with the right to be here, and efficient enough to process legitimate passengers quickly.”The government said it had signed a five-year contract with French telecommunications and technology company Sagem SA to provide the system.Iris recognition is one of a number of security techniques introduced around the world in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.Backers of the technology say eye scans are an effective alternative to fingerprinting because each individual’s iris contains a unique pattern.Frankfurt airport, continental Europe’s busiest, began an iris-scanning trial in February that allows selected EU and Swiss nationals to bypass conventional passport checks.The British government hopes to introduce biometric data including iris scans on visas and passports within the next few years, and eventually on a proposed national identity card.- Nampa-APAfter being vetted, their irises would be scanned and they would be able to pass through a dedicated immigration channel at the airports.The project will begin by mid-2005 at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester and Birmingham airports, the government said.It said the system would remain voluntary but that it hoped one million people would sign up within five years.Home Office Minister Des Browne said the technology would “ensure that our controls are robust enough to let in only those with the right to be here, and efficient enough to process legitimate passengers quickly.”The government said it had signed a five-year contract with French telecommunications and technology company Sagem SA to provide the system.Iris recognition is one of a number of security techniques introduced around the world in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.Backers of the technology say eye scans are an effective alternative to fingerprinting because each individual’s iris contains a unique pattern.Frankfurt airport, continental Europe’s busiest, began an iris-scanning trial in February that allows selected EU and Swiss nationals to bypass conventional passport checks.The British government hopes to introduce biometric data including iris scans on visas and passports within the next few years, and eventually on a proposed national identity card.- Nampa-AP