Unmanned passport controls with facial matching
At Zurich Airport, passports are now also checked by unmanned border control counters. A facial recognition system is also in operation as a pilot.
| Due to the steady increase in passenger numbers, the passport control hall at Zurich Airport reaches its capacity limits at peak times. The airport operator is therefore remodeling and creating additional space for control units and passengers. The conversion is being carried out in close cooperation with the Zurich Cantonal Police, which is responsible for the border control process. In order to make local entry more efficient, eight automated gates were installed for passport control, which started operation on September 27. For this, the passenger needs a passport with biometric data. The automated passport control is voluntary, the manned control counters can still be used without restriction, writes the airport police. Only with e-passport Passengers who wish to use an automated lock for passport control must meet the following requirements: One must be at least 18 years old, have a biometric passport (e-passport, not ID) and be a citizen of Switzerland or an EU/EEA country. And this is how it works The unmanned passport control works in three steps: Step 1: The biometric passport is placed on the passport reader of the lock. Then the travel document is checked for validity and the entrance door opens. If the system detects that a person is wanted or that the passport is invalid, the lock remains closed and the police are called in. Step 2 - Face control: During entry into the airlock, the biometric-based comparison check between the facial image (live recording) and the stored electronic image in the e-passport is performed. Parallel to the facial check, the personal data is checked. For the time being, facial recognition is only a test operation. The facial measurement is voluntary. A decision will be made in the first half of 2018 as to whether facial recognition will be introduced definitively. Step 3: After the successful check, the exit door opens and the passenger leaves the airlock. In the event of a positive query or further necessary clarifications, a manual follow-up check is carried out. After leaving the airlock, the biometric data collected during the check is deleted again immediately, as the airport police assure. Five more locks by 2018 The reconstruction of the passport control hall is expected to be completed by mid-2018. By then, experience with automated passport control in local entry will also be gathered and evaluated. Depending on the results, five additional automated airlocks will also be installed for outbound travel by mid-2018. The costs for the expansion of the passport control hall and the installation of the additional counters and airlocks amount to around eight million Swiss francs. These costs are being shared by the airport operator, the canton of Zurich and the European Internal Security Fund (ISF Fund). Source: Zurich Airport |
