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South African gov't defends biometric capture system

Xinhua, July 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

A senior South African government official on Thursday defended his government's introduction of biometric capture system, saying it is necessary for national security.

"The biometric capture system will remain in force. It's crucial for South Africa's security. We will not hold back when it comes to the security of the Republic of South Africa. Should you refuse the capturing of your biometrics, we will send you back," said Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba at a press briefing in Johannesburg.

South Africa introduced the biometric capture system on July 1 at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg for inbound and outbound passengers. The system caused a lot of flight delays, leading to various complaints.

Gigaba refuted the criticism, saying the move was done for security reasons after taking some risks assessment.

He said the capturing of biometrics will be implemented in other entry ports.

The move is to ensure that everybody in the country is included in the national population register, the minister said.

South African citizens, he said, are excluded because they are already in the system.

Under the system, a traveller's photo and fingerprints are captured and the passport is scanned and recorded in the Home Affairs' enhanced movement control system.

For first time travellers, they have to get all their fingers captured, while only one finger will be taken in future travels for verification purposes.

Gigaba said some people come into the country as tourists and claim asylum status and the move is meant to stop that.

He said, "The purpose of the biometric is to ensure security and easing the burden of those in transit. Processing time for the biometric system is expected to improve as the personnel master the system and as travellers become used to the requirement. Travellers are encouraged to check-in early to avoid congestion of queues as we improve the biometric system."

He said authorities have made efforts to decongest the airport by increasing the number of counters.

The news system is used to prevent the use of fraudulent documents, protect visitors from identity theft, and stop criminals and immigration violators from entering South Africa, said Gigab.

He added that the system is working well with no glitches at the airport.

The biometric system ensures that all travellers upon arriving and departing from the country at all ports of entry should be recorded for security reasons, Gigaba said.

The OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg is the biggest and busiest in the continent handling over 19 million passengers a year.

Last November, the Department of Home Affairs announced that they would be implementing biometric data collection at various airports in South Africa. This was followed by the official launch of the Transit Visa Biometrics System which seeks to record the movement of transit travellers on the department's enhanced Movement Control System (eMCS). Endit