Fingerprinting of foreign visitors in Singapore may start in 2017

[webfact]

Fingerprinting of foreign visitors in S'pore may start in 2017
Toh Yong Chuan
The Straits Times

SINGAPORE: -- Singapore may soon join a small number of countries worldwide that ask visitors to have their fingerprints taken when they arrive.

The immigration authorities are considering setting up self-service kiosks to capture the fingerprints of foreigners arriving at Changi Airport's new Terminal 4 when it opens in 2017.

The move will speed up immigration clearance and strengthen border security, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's (ICA) new operational plan, which The Straits Times obtained last week.

When contacted, the ICA confirmed the move, saying it "constantly reviews and refines" its processes to use technology to make immigration clearance faster and more efficient.

At least three countries scan the fingerprints of visitors: the United States started doing so in 2004 after the Sept 11 terror attacks of 2001.

Japan introduced fingerprint scans in 2007 and South Korea in 2012.

The ICA plan did not say how much the kiosks will cost or whether they would be implemented at other airport terminals or land checkpoints.

To prepare for the move, it approached contractors last week to retrofit an existing airport immigration counter for a trial.

Under the ICA plan, foreigners arriving at the new airport terminal will need to scan their completed immigration cards and fingerprints at self-service kiosks as soon as they arrive.

They then present their passports to immigration officers for checks.

Besides fingerprinting, foreigners could also have their photos taken or irises scanned at the kiosks.

Security expert Rohan Gunaratna supports the move to use fingerprints and other biometrics to cut down the use of stolen and forged passports or those that have been tampered with.

"In order for biometric technology to be effective, each traveller must be scanned every time he enters or exits the country," said the professor of security studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University.

Others, however, warned that it is important to ensure the new system works well and leads to shorter, and not longer, waits for visitors to Singapore.

The founder of local customer service consultancy Wow! Academy, Bentley Williams, said the system has to be fast and efficient, and staff should be deployed to help foreigners who have problems at the self-service kiosks.

Member of Parliament Edwin Tong, deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Law and Home Affairs, said what was crucial was the "efficiency of the bio-scanners".

He said: "If there is a glitch in the system, there could be a significant hold-up and this would affect Changi's reputation as an ultra-efficient airport."


-- ANN 2014-05-19

[alphaflight]

This is yet another step the world governments are taking to implement their NWO. "Supposed terrorist attacks" are being used as excuses to add increased measures, and speed up the whole process. With 1 airline incident a huge step forward in their agendas is implemented. Interesting how all of these governments; with their super sophisticated intelligence, and collaborated spy programs, security at airports, etc. are able to let people get on a plane with passports that have not only been stolen, but that are in the system as being reported stolen. Then they "apparently" completely loose an airliner with no way of being able to find it. I don't buy any of it for a second. And now they are even including iris scans? At what point will citizens lose complete privacy, independence and freedom. I suppose blood samples are just around the corner. These practices would have been unheard of, and completely unlawful; and probably are against the constitutions of most 1st world countries; but they're doing it anyway.........

[Jimbolai]

It is not supposed terrorists that set of the finger printing and tourist measures being implemented all over the world. Thailand is no exception. There is but one main reason why they do it. BECAUSE THEY CAN. Thanks to computers and unlimited disk space they can now store anything they want in never ending databases and they will do it. There will be more and more of this until they find that it will adversely impact tourism and then, some years down the road, they will use that database power as a plus. Then the legitimate tourist will get the best all around.

[ravip]

These practices would have been unheard of, and completely unlawful; and probably are against the constitutions of most 1st world countries; but they're doing it anyway.........

Who really started all the crap in this world, anyway? Starting with these 1st,2nd,3rd rate 'statuses'.

Are the so called 1st the 'supreme class' ?

REALLY?

[kannot]

This is yet another step the world governments are taking to implement their NWO. "Supposed terrorist attacks" are being used as excuses to add increased measures, and speed up the whole process. With 1 airline incident a huge step forward in their agendas is implemented. Interesting how all of these governments; with their super sophisticated intelligence, and collaborated spy programs, security at airports, etc. are able to let people get on a plane with passports that have not only been stolen, but that are in the system as being reported stolen. Then they "apparently" completely loose an airliner with no way of being able to find it. I don't buy any of it for a second. And now they are even including iris scans? At what point will citizens lose complete privacy, independence and freedom. I suppose blood samples are just around the corner. These practices would have been unheard of, and completely unlawful; and probably are against the constitutions of most 1st world countries; but they're doing it anyway.........

just wait "chip implants" at birth!!

[Docno]

This is yet another step the world governments are taking to implement their NWO. "Supposed terrorist attacks" are being used as excuses to add increased measures, and speed up the whole process. With 1 airline incident a huge step forward in their agendas is implemented. Interesting how all of these governments; with their super sophisticated intelligence, and collaborated spy programs, security at airports, etc. are able to let people get on a plane with passports that have not only been stolen, but that are in the system as being reported stolen. Then they "apparently" completely loose an airliner with no way of being able to find it. I don't buy any of it for a second. And now they are even including iris scans? At what point will citizens lose complete privacy, independence and freedom. I suppose blood samples are just around the corner. These practices would have been unheard of, and completely unlawful; and probably are against the constitutions of most 1st world countries; but they're doing it anyway.........

Sorry, but I don't get the paranoid big deal. I was finger-printed when I joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police back in the 90s. I was fingerprinted again when I moved to Singapore in 1999. Happy for that. When I arrive at the airport here I just put my thumb in a scanner and I'm through immigration ... no lineup, no talking to an immigration officer, etc. I'm in my apartment in less than 45 minutes from my plane touching down. I experience that nowhere else in the world. And what exactly am I giving up. Well I guess if I rob a bank, I'll be easier to catch with those prints on file. But I don't have any such plans at the moment.

Also note that I've met a number of people from other countries (including Thailand) who get a new passport with an altered name, etc., after they have had 'a problem' here. And they're able to come into the country again because it looks like their first time. That's why the gov't is going down this road...

[alphaflight]

It is not supposed terrorists that set of the finger printing and tourist measures being implemented all over the world. Thailand is no exception. There is but one main reason why they do it. BECAUSE THEY CAN. Thanks to computers and unlimited disk space they can now store anything they want in never ending databases and they will do it. There will be more and more of this until they find that it will adversely impact tourism and then, some years down the road, they will use that database power as a plus. Then the legitimate tourist will get the best all around.

By the legitimate tourist, you mean the top 10% with the most money, and connections. Some years down the road, the other 90% will be allowed certain liberties and destinations to travel, depending on their personal status. Later, some regular guy with a past driving violation he received, for some bull$@#% reason, by a corrupt cop; will have to stay home. Interesting to note; it's a % of these people getting the best all around, who are the same people who fund these terrorist organizations. When has anyone ever heard of a blue collared worker, with the connections or training; to fund and send people into a country, and have them fly jetliners into buildings. What happens, is you end up with a % of the population, who are pissed off, and have to resort to alternative measures, just to afford themselves some simple freedoms. It's so disappointing knowing, that most of the people making these rules, are the same ones who break them. The movie "In Time" or "Elysium" come to mind, as types of possible directions this world could be heading, down the road.......

[Time Traveller]

IF fingerprints are necessary, why we still need to fill in arrival cards?

[alphaflight]

This is yet another step the world governments are taking to implement their NWO. "Supposed terrorist attacks" are being used as excuses to add increased measures, and speed up the whole process. With 1 airline incident a huge step forward in their agendas is implemented. Interesting how all of these governments; with their super sophisticated intelligence, and collaborated spy programs, security at airports, etc. are able to let people get on a plane with passports that have not only been stolen, but that are in the system as being reported stolen. Then they "apparently" completely loose an airliner with no way of being able to find it. I don't buy any of it for a second. And now they are even including iris scans? At what point will citizens lose complete privacy, independence and freedom. I suppose blood samples are just around the corner. These practices would have been unheard of, and completely unlawful; and probably are against the constitutions of most 1st world countries; but they're doing it anyway.........

Sorry, but I don't get the paranoid big deal. I was finger-printed when I joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police back in the 90s. I was fingerprinted again when I moved to Singapore in 1999. Happy for that. When I arrive at the airport here I just put my thumb in a scanner and I'm through immigration ... no lineup, no talking to an immigration officer, etc. I'm in my apartment in less than 45 minutes from my plane touching down. I experience that nowhere else in the world. And what exactly am I giving up. Well I guess if I rob a bank, I'll be easier to catch with those prints on file. But I don't have any such plans at the moment.

Also note that I've met a number of people from other countries (including Thailand) who get a new passport with an altered name, etc., after they have had 'a problem' here. And they're able to come into the country again because it looks like their first time. That's why the gov't is going down this road...

I guess my concern is that such personal information, falls into the hands of an organization looking for a "fall guy". Finger prints, are enough to make a innocent person guilty; and now, you'll never know who has that information...

[Docno]

This is yet another step the world governments are taking to implement their NWO. "Supposed terrorist attacks" are being used as excuses to add increased measures, and speed up the whole process. With 1 airline incident a huge step forward in their agendas is implemented. Interesting how all of these governments; with their super sophisticated intelligence, and collaborated spy programs, security at airports, etc. are able to let people get on a plane with passports that have not only been stolen, but that are in the system as being reported stolen. Then they "apparently" completely loose an airliner with no way of being able to find it. I don't buy any of it for a second. And now they are even including iris scans? At what point will citizens lose complete privacy, independence and freedom. I suppose blood samples are just around the corner. These practices would have been unheard of, and completely unlawful; and probably are against the constitutions of most 1st world countries; but they're doing it anyway.........

Sorry, but I don't get the paranoid big deal. I was finger-printed when I joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police back in the 90s. I was fingerprinted again when I moved to Singapore in 1999. Happy for that. When I arrive at the airport here I just put my thumb in a scanner and I'm through immigration ... no lineup, no talking to an immigration officer, etc. I'm in my apartment in less than 45 minutes from my plane touching down. I experience that nowhere else in the world. And what exactly am I giving up. Well I guess if I rob a bank, I'll be easier to catch with those prints on file. But I don't have any such plans at the moment.

Also note that I've met a number of people from other countries (including Thailand) who get a new passport with an altered name, etc., after they have had 'a problem' here. And they're able to come into the country again because it looks like their first time. That's why the gov't is going down this road...

I guess my concern is that such personal information, falls into the hands of an organization looking for a "fall guy". Finger prints, are enough to make a innocent person guilty; and now, you'll never know who has that information...

Sorry, I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. You mean a government agency could somehow 'plant fingerprints' to make an innocent person appear guilty? Is this even possible? And if it's a foreign government using your fingerprints to frame you that you worry about... well, would they really need to go to that trouble if they wanted to frame. Sorry if I'm being thick...

[BudRight]

You're being thick. There isn't enough variation in fingerprints for seven billion humans to all have unique ones. Larger databases mean more false positives. The best way to avoid that is to stay off the database.

[soihok]

If you have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide, what is the issue?

[Tywais]

You're being thick. There isn't enough variation in fingerprints for seven billion humans to all have unique ones.

Believe there is as even twins have different, distinguishable fingerprints.

[Coppernicussing]

Japan does it, in a country with no civilian crime. What they need to do is fingerprint the politicians! They are the ones that need watching 24/7.
As they say, "I shook hands with Abe the other day! I reached back fro my wallet and intercepted him..."

[alphaflight]

You're being thick. There isn't enough variation in fingerprints for seven billion humans to all have unique ones.

Believe there is as even twins have different, distinguishable fingerprints.

Finger prints can easily be planted at the scene of a crime or for the purposes of a conspiracy; if you have them.

[alphaflight]

This is yet another step the world governments are taking to implement their NWO. "Supposed terrorist attacks" are being used as excuses to add increased measures, and speed up the whole process. With 1 airline incident a huge step forward in their agendas is implemented. Interesting how all of these governments; with their super sophisticated intelligence, and collaborated spy programs, security at airports, etc. are able to let people get on a plane with passports that have not only been stolen, but that are in the system as being reported stolen. Then they "apparently" completely loose an airliner with no way of being able to find it. I don't buy any of it for a second. And now they are even including iris scans? At what point will citizens lose complete privacy, independence and freedom. I suppose blood samples are just around the corner. These practices would have been unheard of, and completely unlawful; and probably are against the constitutions of most 1st world countries; but they're doing it anyway.........

Sorry, but I don't get the paranoid big deal. I was finger-printed when I joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police back in the 90s. I was fingerprinted again when I moved to Singapore in 1999. Happy for that. When I arrive at the airport here I just put my thumb in a scanner and I'm through immigration ... no lineup, no talking to an immigration officer, etc. I'm in my apartment in less than 45 minutes from my plane touching down. I experience that nowhere else in the world. And what exactly am I giving up. Well I guess if I rob a bank, I'll be easier to catch with those prints on file. But I don't have any such plans at the moment.

Also note that I've met a number of people from other countries (including Thailand) who get a new passport with an altered name, etc., after they have had 'a problem' here. And they're able to come into the country again because it looks like their first time. That's why the gov't is going down this road...

I guess my concern is that such personal information, falls into the hands of an organization looking for a "fall guy". Finger prints, are enough to make a innocent person guilty; and now, you'll never know who has that information...

Sorry, I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. You mean a government agency could somehow 'plant fingerprints' to make an innocent person appear guilty? Is this even possible? And if it's a foreign government using your fingerprints to frame you that you worry about... well, would they really need to go to that trouble if they wanted to frame. Sorry if I'm being thick...

Finger prints can easily be planted at the scene of a crime or for the purposes of a conspiracy. Now a world database (which we all know is not safe), will have that information along with everything else attached to it. The fear is that organizations will use information to profile individuals and find candidates. I don't think people realize, the implications of such rules longterm. Now it's finger prints at the boarders; next it's being used to place you in a category; where depending on your profile, you will be told what you can do, and where you can go. They can already use smart chips, which are in items you purchase, bank cards, etc; to track and follow your movements....

[Docno]

Sorry, but I don't get the paranoid big deal. I was finger-printed when I joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police back in the 90s. I was fingerprinted again when I moved to Singapore in 1999. Happy for that. When I arrive at the airport here I just put my thumb in a scanner and I'm through immigration ... no lineup, no talking to an immigration officer, etc. I'm in my apartment in less than 45 minutes from my plane touching down. I experience that nowhere else in the world. And what exactly am I giving up. Well I guess if I rob a bank, I'll be easier to catch with those prints on file. But I don't have any such plans at the moment.

Also note that I've met a number of people from other countries (including Thailand) who get a new passport with an altered name, etc., after they have had 'a problem' here. And they're able to come into the country again because it looks like their first time. That's why the gov't is going down this road...

I guess my concern is that such personal information, falls into the hands of an organization looking for a "fall guy". Finger prints, are enough to make a innocent person guilty; and now, you'll never know who has that information...

Sorry, I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. You mean a government agency could somehow 'plant fingerprints' to make an innocent person appear guilty? Is this even possible? And if it's a foreign government using your fingerprints to frame you that you worry about... well, would they really need to go to that trouble if they wanted to frame. Sorry if I'm being thick...

Finger prints can easily be planted at the scene of a crime or for the purposes of a conspiracy. Now a world database (which we all know is not safe), will have that information along with everything else attached to it. The fear is that organizations will use information to profile individuals and find candidates. I don't think people realize, the implications of such rules longterm. Now it's finger prints at the boarders; next it's being used to place you in a category; where depending on your profile, you will be told what you can do, and where you can go. They can already use smart chips, which are in items you purchase, bank cards, etc; to track and follow your movements....

I can't find anything credible on the net that indicates how a digitally stored fingerprint can be converted to a real fingerprint placed at a crime scene to frame someone....

[longballlarry]

I'm with you there, and Ive never heard of digital fingerprints being used to frame someone ? DNA , yes, but digital prints. Nope.

Nothing to hide, this process makes your life easier. Something to hide, or you think the CIA are going to set you up, stay at home and draw the curtains. Simple.

[Soutpeel]

I can't find anything credible on the net that indicates how a digitally stored fingerprint can be converted to a real fingerprint placed at a crime scene to frame someone....

I think I seen it on CSI once...

[Fred Nerk]

I am a bit late to this thread but consider this. You arrive at a Airport have your prints scanned, pass Immigration and you are stopped and relieved of your shiny new IPhone which uses Fingerprint ID. It is not a great stretch of the imagination to think that there are not already people figuring how to use a 3D printer to regenerate your fingerprint scans. This simply removes the need for them to demand that you provide you Social Media passwords. People simply do not understand Big Data!!

[rak sa_ngop]

I spent last weekend in Singapore. On entry I had to try 3 times before my fingerprints were accepted by the machine. Coming back on Sunday after 3 unsuccessful attempts to match up my prints I was marched to a special counter for further processing before they let me through.

 

Maybe they should clean the glass of the reader a bit more often?

[Katia]

Only in Terminal 4, eh?  Someone told me that's where all of the "budget" airlines fly into?  IOW, the people with less money (or at least, spending less on flights) would be the ones being screened...

 

So are they doing this now?