IDEMIA and Sopra Steria Secure Border Contract with French Ministry of the Interior

IDEMIA and Sopra Steria will soon be deploying their biometric traveller processing technology at France’s borders. The two companies have signed a contract with the French Ministry of the Interior, and will start rolling out the new standard border control system (CCAF) later in 2021.

The new CCAF is designed to support the European Union’s new Entry-Exit System (EES) rules, which will go into effect in 2022. It will also streamline passenger processing procedures more generally, reducing the amount of time that people spend waiting at border checkpoints.

The Ministry of the Interior is hoping that the new system will help deal with the high volume of traffic that it expects to receive when the country hosts the Rugby World Cup in 2023 and the Paris Olympics in 2024. The CCAF is being designed to be both scalable and interoperable, to make sure that it is compliant with the EU’s current regulations and any regulations that may be implemented in the future.

IDEMIA and Sopra Steria have already agreed to provide a shared biometric matching system for the EU’s Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems (eu-LISA). That contract was signed in June, and will serve as the foundation for the Schengen EES once it is paired with the EU’s massive biometric database.

“The CCAF project aims to develop and perfect a standard and robust border system that is both smoother and more secure,” said IDEMIA Europe Public Security and Identity SVP Pascal Fallet. “Together with Sopra Steria, we pledge to provide a groundbreaking system that delivers a high level of security and an enhanced travel experience.” 

“IDEMIA’s know-how as a biometrics world leader fit very well with our own skills as a reputed big government systems integrator in complex environments,” added Sopra Steria Security Market Director Georges Wakim. “This will be a great asset to ensure the project’s success.” 

The EES will force Schengen member countries to collect the face and fingerprint biometrics of third-party nationals entering the region. IDEMIA has developed a biometric TravelKiosk to help countries meet those requirements, and will install them at Iceland’s borders in 2021.

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January 29, 2021 – by Eric Weiss