As passport and travel document verification becomes more complex and document fraud more sophisticated, technology is essential to the future of border control. But it can only realise its full potential when combined with the knowledge and skills of experienced professionals and a strong international network. This was one of the main take-outs from the Global Identity Trust Association (GITA) summit, which took place in Amsterdam earlier this month.
The conference, hosted by identity verification experts DESKO, Keesing Technologies and forensic science equipment supplier foster+freeman, explored how international identity documentation is now a complicated task. Currently there is a total of 86 different types of travel and other identity documents, issued by 195 countries across the world. In addition, there are more than 250 different security features and printing techniques used in the production of security documents, and any one passport may contain more than 60 different concealed security features. Yet border control staff have on average just 12 seconds to verify each document.
Damage to documents also creates confusion. With it being standard international practice for governments not to renew passports for anything up to ten years, wear and tear can also create uncertainty. A document may look as if it’s been tampered with, but in fact the damage may simply be the result of it being well-used. Distinguishing between the two requires the right technology, but also reliable data, expertise and experience.
Figures shared at the summit highlighted the scale of the issue. According to a study from EMPACT, more than 25.5k forged documents were seized in EU operations against migrant smuggling last year, while in the UK, 250k identity fraud cases were filled, accounting for over half of all fraud cases in the country in one year. In Spain, 800 counterfeit identity documents were seized in a single operation at one apartment.
Commenting on the event, Jessica Luh-Fuchs, Vice President of Marketing Communications at DESKO said: “The future of border control will not be influenced by technology alone. It will be shaped by how effectively we integrate technology with trusted knowledge and, most importantly, with the people and networks that exchange expertise across borders.”
More than one hundred document experts from government, immigration and passport authorities, as well as delegates from identity verification solution providers attended the GITA Summit 26. Over two days, the summit explored the complexities of a fast-evolving technological and regulatory environment.
