“The requirement comes as increasingly sophisticated automated border control systems are installed at Schengen borders…”
Effective November 24th, non-Europeans with Schengen visas will need new, biometric e-passports to gain entry to the Schengen zone.
The Schengen area is a multi-state zone overlapping largely with the European Union that allows passport-free travel between its member states. Amid rising security concerns and a vexing refugee crisis, European officials have lately sought to increase security parameters for access to the area, and the requirement of a biometric passport is the latest such measure.
The requirement comes as increasingly sophisticated automated border control systems are installed at Schengen borders, and as some European officials call for even tougher restrictions, including scanning the biometrics of EU nationals in addition to those of visitors from abroad.
While the shift to biometric border control appears to be particularly urgent for many European officials, it is a trend underway all over the world, with similar measures underway in countries like Saudi Arabia and India.
Source: Morocco World News
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November 20, 2015 – by Alex Perala
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