Nz Aps Presentation To Bali Aheg Ii Rb 17032004[1]
1. New Zealand’s Advance Passenger Screening and Biometrics Presentation to : BALI AHEG II Identity Management Workshop 17 March 2004 Rob Bolton Chief Information Officer New Zealand Immigration Service
Overview New Zealand has introduced Advance Passenger Screening – to assist in the identification and screening of passengers prior to boarding an aircraft. Advance Passenger Screening uses the Advance Passenger Processing system (APP) which most NZ-bound airlines had already implemented for Australia. Provide some background on what Advance Passenger Screening is and how it works – and New Zealand’s experience to date (after 8 months of operation) New Zealand has not yet introduced biometrics for identity management – but we have taken an active part in the ICAO standards work in regards to biometrics A brief update on what New Zealand is doing to incorporate biometrics and document authentication identifiers into passports to meet US border control requirements for Visa Waiver status The New Zealand Passports Office has been investigating how to use facial recognition biometric technology to combat identity fraud in the travel document issuing process. New Zealand has a database of scanned passport photos going back over 10 years Provide some background on how this would work in the issuing process – and our learning to date
Background Since September 11th, various international fora have discussed and promoted as a security measure, the concept of airlines providing border agencies with passenger information in advance of their arrival. An international ‘data standard’ for advance passenger information (API) has been developed by the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and has been endorsed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The APP system is able to provide border agencies with advance passenger information in accordance with this ‘data standard’. APEC economies have agreed to a set of standards for members to adopt API systems that will enhance airline and border security while facilitating genuine travellers. New Zealand’s implementation of the APP system meets these standards.
Introducing Advance Passenger Screening (APS) to New Zealand The New Zealand Government decided to introduce improved immigration systems to ‘screen out’ risk travellers as part of its counter-terrorism package announced on 30 January 2002. Advance Passenger Processing (APP), the new system launched in New Zealand in August 2003, is expected to minimise the number of entries by inadmissible passengers, thereby reducing the opportunities for people who pose a security or terrorist risk to enter New Zealand. The Australian equivalent APP system has been running effectively for over five years in Australia and with its introduction in New Zealand is expected to further enhance the security of the South Pacific. The introduction of APS in New Zealand will enable Airlines to check, before a passenger boards: the validity of a passenger’s passport and visa; information against all passenger visa and permit applications and movements and for NZIS border agency alerts. In addition, APS enables in-depth passenger checks and profiles to continue whilst the flight is en route to New Zealand. This additional time will assist NZIS to facilitate people seeking to enter New Zealand, the vast majority of who arrive by air.
Benefits of Introducing APS to New Zealand Helps to further secure New Zealand’s borders by: Reducing the number of “risk” passengers entering New Zealand Checking visas and alerts before a passenger boards a flight to New Zealand Providing Airlines with an electronic directive to “Board” or “NOT Board” a passenger Providing accurate advance passenger information (API) for profiling in case intervention at the border is necessary.
APP also provides NZIS with: A vehicle to provide API requirements to other NZ Govt Agencies Airlines will be able to use the APP system to provide one set of data to a single border agency rather than continue to supply each NZ border Agency with required Bio and flight information. NZ Agencies will be able to share this information. This sharing is reflected in the fact that NZIS & NZCustoms have a joint MOU with airlines. A vehicle with which to share data with other governments The ability for New Zealand to play its role in securing the region from terrorist activities.
Relationships BARNZ: The NZIS relationship with the Board of Airline Representatives of New Zealand (BARNZ) was critical throughout the implementation. It was their established relationship with Airlines and the voice of Airlines that allowed New Zealand to implement APP prior to the legislation being introduced mandating Airlines to comply.
Technical issues around implementing the APP System Generic solution: APP is a generic solution, and therein we faced challenges in ensuring that the software vendor (CPS) could deliver a solution that would meet the NZIS requirements. Business Rules: The primary vehicle to deliver the solution to NZIS was a comprehensive business rule matrix to cater for all travel types including visa free and visa required. The business rules are set up to enable any immediate business rule or policy change. There are over 300 business rules that need to be applied to the APP system. Data quality: Travel documents without machine readable zones (MRZ) meaning manual data entry of travel document details, have been the source of most technical problems. The issue centres around the need for accuracy, if the information entered into the APP system is incorrect a validation of any information held in the APP system cannot be made.
APS Implementation Update Access to data Access to the Visa & passport databases will enable facilitation gains at check-in as the check-in agent will no longer need to plough thought a passport searching for the visa. The APP system will recognise the passenger as having the right to enter NZ (or not) through the validation against the visa/passport database. Lost & Stolen passports & Alerts Lost & Stolen passports & Alerts will give governments the ability to enhance border security through sharing information such as alerts and lost & stolen passports. It is recognised however that there are bigger privacy issues surrounding access to alerts data compared with access to visa and passport data.
What Advance Passenger Processing screens for Once legislation has been passed, APP will screen for invalid Travel documents (Initially NZ and Australian passports but eventually other countries as NZ negotiates data sharing arrangements) Expired Passports No Visa (if from a Visa required country) No RRV (where required by a returning resident) Person Alerts (where the passenger would be denied entry to NZ,)
What Advance Passenger Processing screens for Travel Document alerts Where a passenger is required to hold an outward ticket from New Zealand Fake New Zealand Visas or Visas fraudulently inserted into another person’s passport (won’t have a corresponding electronic match in the system) Persons loaded on the “Banned lists”
Advance Passenger Screening Successes Results of Implementation: As of the 13 February 2004 Currently 50% of all passengers flying into New Zealand are being APS screened prior to boarding their flight to New Zealand. There are some false “Do not board” directives but passengers have been cleared after checks with the NZIS APS Support Office. To date 34 passengers have been refused boarding their flight to New Zealand – for not having the appropriate visa and for no outward ticket. There have been a number of occasions where travellers have presented stolen passports. In these cases they have been prevented from boarding their flights. Case Studies: In October 2003, the Advance Passenger Processing system stopped two undocumented travellers boarding their plane to New Zealand from Hong Kong. It turns out one was travelling on a stolen NZ passport and the other on a French passport (legitimacy unknown). The APS Support Office commenced a phone interview; only to discover that the French passport holder did not speak French! The two passengers then simply vanished into thin air – without boarding their flight to New Zealand! Yet another traveller presenting a stolen Bangladesh passport in Kuala Lumpur was also prevented from boarding his flight. Not content with being refused boarding – this traveller made a second attempt to check-in choosing another check-in agent. And again was not issued with a boarding pass.
Considerations for implementing APP Your Immigration data: The APP process is predominantly reliant on the existence of data in AMS (in your case, your own immigrations system), which at times is challenged by some existing manual business processes. (The Current NZIS VDR process) Note: Where possible the APS project has initiated business wide improvements, or used technology to provide an alternative solution. Establish MoUs with countries to ensure data can be shared e.g. Lost & Stolen passports, alerts, convictions Ensure legislation allows for the collection and sharing of data. Without this you may encounter technical issues with the system and accommodate this by making interim changes to the system. Communicate progress on a regular basis with key stakeholders Ensure training tools are in place for Staff, Airlines and other Government Agencies Establish a Support Office for Airlines
Future enhancements for APS Greater data sharing between Governments worldwide Access to Passenger Name Records (PNR) through airline reservation systems for further analysis of those travelling to New Zealand Use of enhanced Biometric data on travellers