THE Bureau of Immigration will use modern biometrics capture system that would be connected to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) as part of its continued efforts to strengthen border security and to thwart the entry of undesirable aliens into the country.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the project will involve the photo capture of all arriving and departing passengers when being processed at the immigration counters of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
He said the pictures will then be cross-checked with the photo database of the Interpol to find out if they match the pictures of any of the millions of wanted fugitives, terrorists, sex offenders, and holders of stolen passports from all over the world who are in the Interpol’s database.
Morente said that once the project becomes operational, the Philippines will be the first Southeast Asian country to be connected to the Interpol data system.
The BI chief also said that digital cameras were already installed at BI counters in all three terminals of the Naia and which are now being used by immigration officers in taking pictures of passengers.
“Eventually, our computers at the airport will be equipped with facial recognition capability that will enable us to immediately detect and apprehend an undesirable alien attempting to enter or flee the country,” he said.
