System must be renewed
This week, the Federal Council approved the dispatch on the renewal of the system platform biometric data collection. The system currently in use has reached the limit of its intended service life in a few years and is therefore to be replaced in 2020, it says.
The current "eDokumente" system was put into operation in 2010 and ensures the capture of biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial images. The platform is used to issue the Swiss passport and Swiss identity cards (ISA), visas (ORBIS), biometric foreigners' identity cards (ZEMIS) and travel documents for foreigners (ISR). Approximately 1.5 million entries are recorded annually.
The system is also used by border control authorities to verify the biometric data of Swiss passports and biometric alien ID cards. The main components of this system are designed for a maximum service life of 10 years, which makes replacement necessary.
Staggered introduction
The scheduled renewal will take place within the framework of a program called ESYSP under the direction of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). The Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the Border Guard Corps (GWK) and the cantonal authorities are also involved. Specifically, the IT applications affected by the renewal must be adapted. The renewed platform is scheduled to go live in Switzerland and abroad in 2020. Due to the large number of locations worldwide, a staggered rollout abroad is planned over a period of one year. The total cost of the system renewal is around 46 million Swiss francs.
Source: Federal Department of Justice and Police
