Senior officials from Barbados have said that the island-state will postpone the implementation of a biometrics-backed entry system to allow more study of issues surrounding the initiative.The Barbados Immigration Department had planned to introduce biometric screening at Barbados' ports of entry from April 1, 2016.According to acting chief immigration officer, Wayne Marshall, the decision to defer the start of the biometrics screening programme was taken to allow the department more time to re-examine some of the issues, especially the legal issues, raised in the public arena, both orally and in writing, and to increase public awareness about the initiative.Marshall noted that the benefits of fingerprinting were national in scope and included enhancing the level of national security; identifying individuals travelling with fraudulent identification documents; strengthening border control; reducing crime; improving investigation of crime; and preserving the high international ranking of the Barbados passport.He also revealed that, to date, fingerprint readers have been installed at 20 desks in the Arrivals Hall at the airport. Special arrangements are also being put in place to ensure easy accessibility to the readers by wheelchair-bound passengers.Additionally, kiosks are being installed to permit Barbadians and other select categories of persons to benefit from easier, smoother and faster passage through Immigration at the Grantley Adams International Airport.

Also in the news:

Default ThumbnailCamvi claims first place in NIST face recognition test Default ThumbnailIdentity experts launch consultancy Default ThumbnailFingerprint Cards buys Delta ID for US$106 million