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| Fingerprinting snares visa cheats | Fingerprinting snares visa cheats |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Some 6,000 potential immigration cheats have been caught by a scheme to fingerprint visa applicants before they travel to the UK. | Some 6,000 potential immigration cheats have been caught by a scheme to fingerprint visa applicants before they travel to the UK. |
| UKvisas said more than 500,000 sets of prints had been taken since the scheme was introduced last year, with 6,000 matched to "people of concern". | UKvisas said more than 500,000 sets of prints had been taken since the scheme was introduced last year, with 6,000 matched to "people of concern". |
| Compulsory fingerprinting forms part of the UK visa application process in just under 50% of countries. | Compulsory fingerprinting forms part of the UK visa application process in just under 50% of countries. |
| The government hopes to collect prints from every applicant by April 2008. | The government hopes to collect prints from every applicant by April 2008. |
| 'Flushing out' | 'Flushing out' |
| Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said fingerprint visas were becoming the UK's "fist line of defence against illegal immigration". | Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said fingerprint visas were becoming the UK's "fist line of defence against illegal immigration". |
| "By collecting fingerprint information on foreign nationals coming to the UK in advance of their journey, we are building a new overseas border control which is flushing out the false visa applicants," he said. | "By collecting fingerprint information on foreign nationals coming to the UK in advance of their journey, we are building a new overseas border control which is flushing out the false visa applicants," he said. |
| One applicant was prosecuted for deception because, in an earlier unsuccessful visa application made in Amsterdam, he had used a different name. | One applicant was prosecuted for deception because, in an earlier unsuccessful visa application made in Amsterdam, he had used a different name. |
| And a Sudanese businessman who said he wanted to travel to the UK for a shopping holiday with his wife was also caught out. | And a Sudanese businessman who said he wanted to travel to the UK for a shopping holiday with his wife was also caught out. |
| The application was refused after a check of his fingerprints revealed a failed asylum claim in 2004 under a different identity. | The application was refused after a check of his fingerprints revealed a failed asylum claim in 2004 under a different identity. |
| Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells said: "Recording biometric information allows us to fix an individual's identity at the earliest point practicable and track their future dealings with the UK." | Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells said: "Recording biometric information allows us to fix an individual's identity at the earliest point practicable and track their future dealings with the UK." |
| 'False matches' | 'False matches' |
| Meanwhile, the Conservatives have accused the government of ignoring expert advice that its controversial identity cards scheme could be scuppered by technology problems. | Meanwhile, the Conservatives have accused the government of ignoring expert advice that its controversial identity cards scheme could be scuppered by technology problems. |
| Last month, Cambridge University IT expert Professor John Daugman warned that using fingerprints to identify individuals meant one in a thousand card-holders would be wrongly matched with other people's details. | Last month, Cambridge University IT expert Professor John Daugman warned that using fingerprints to identify individuals meant one in a thousand card-holders would be wrongly matched with other people's details. |
| He said: "I don't want to be very pessimistic and say this whole system is doomed to fail but I will say that just from analysing the mathematical requirements, if it is just fingerprint, it is unlikely to be able to succeed." | He said: "I don't want to be very pessimistic and say this whole system is doomed to fail but I will say that just from analysing the mathematical requirements, if it is just fingerprint, it is unlikely to be able to succeed." |
| The Conservatives say that, by the time the entire UK population is on the ID cards database, there could be 40,000 "false matches". | The Conservatives say that, by the time the entire UK population is on the ID cards database, there could be 40,000 "false matches". |
| Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "Gordon Brown pretends ID cards will secure our identities, but tens of thousands of people could be falsely accused of not being who they are. | |
| "That will create, not solve, problems and divert time, money and effort from vital areas of public protection, including at our borders and in the fight against terrorism." | "That will create, not solve, problems and divert time, money and effort from vital areas of public protection, including at our borders and in the fight against terrorism." |
| But ministers say ID cards are vital to the fight against terrorism, identity fraud, people-trafficking and illegal immigration. | But ministers say ID cards are vital to the fight against terrorism, identity fraud, people-trafficking and illegal immigration. |