US Senate: Biometric worker ID sticker shock

Lindsey Graham: Federal ID for Workers Too Expensive (WLTX - Columbia, SC)

Senators working on a bipartisan immigration bill are likely abandoning the idea of requiring a new high-tech federal ID for workers because it's too expensive.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina says cost estimates for the biometric ID card he favors came in higher than expected. The card was intended as a way to ensure employers don't hire illegal workers.

US: to begin accepting [biometric] applications for temporary work visas from young illegal immigrants (workpermit.com)

JAPAN: Airports test new way of confirming passport data (Japan Times) Face & Finger.

BRAZIL: Our friends at Griaule Biometrics have added a new cloud service to their Griaule Biometric Framework 2.0. Press Release here.

Sri Lanka Adopts Biometrics for Better ID Management of Expatriate Domestics in the Middle East

Hi-tech measures to stop job swindles in the Middle East (The Sunday Times - Sri Lanka)

Sri Lankans seeking jobs in the Middle East will now face electronic fingerprinting and biometric scanning prior to departure to crack down on rampant fraud and other irregularities in the recruitment trade, a senior official said yesterday. Scanning devices would be installed at the departure and arrival areas of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and at all Sri Lankan diplomatic missions in the Middle Eastern countries where there were large numbers of Sri Lankan workers, Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) Chairman Amal Senadhilankara said.

Click through to the whole story for a great example of the convoluted way people try to game well-intentioned systems.

Biometrics: More Effective than Whipping?

In its efforts toward more effective border control, Malaysia may depend more on biometrics and less on corporal punishment.

Govt mulls abolishing whipping for illegal foreign workers (Borneo Post)

Mohamed Nazri, who is the minister in charge of parliament and law, said since whipping was introduced for illegal foreign workers, the problem of illegals had not lessened but became worse.

“Therefore, a new penalty such as imposing a big fine could perhaps replace whipping.” He said new technology such as the biometric system could be an effective measure to control the entry of illegal foreign workers into the country. Asked whether Malaysia planned to abolish whipping for other offences, the minister said it was more suitable for serious offences like rape.

In other Malaysia news...

Malaysia to scrap disembarkation card for foreigners (Asia One)

Malaysia 6P Exercise Finds Two-Thirds of Foreign Workers Are Illegal

Two-thirds of foreign workers in Malaysia are illegal (Asia One)

After being extended twice from the original October 10 deadline, enforcement bodies are ready to weed illegals out of their hiding places and those working in unapproved sectors, freelancing as contractors and plumbers, the two jobs that are not a part of the country's foreign workers' policy.

One of the 6P features that may just do the trick to prevent the influx of immigrants would be the biometric system.

By now, thumbprints of legal workers would have been stored in a database, preventing them from leaving one sector to join another, or deserting an employer in search of a better paying job.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, however, said: "We are still very dependent on them (foreign workers)."

He said businesses continued to clamour for foreign labour.

UK Border Agency committed to simplifying documents for foreign nationals with Biometrics

Online checks look set to turn up the pressure on illegal workers (HR Magazine)

From the end of February 2012 we intend to issue all migrants from outside the European Economic Area, successfully applying in the UK to stay for more than six months, with a biometric residence permit. It replaces the wide range of documents UK employers currently use to check an individual's right to work in the UK. Checking employee's details is easier, simpler and more secure.

These permits simplify the process by providing one standard, recognisable and secure document for employers to check. Also from spring 2012, employers will be able to verify that the details contained on an employee's permit are correct online. The new online checking service will provide quick and easy real time checks on the permit, the holder's identity and their right to work.

More at the link.


h/t @Allevate