Ukraine Implements Biometric Border Screening

“It is not applied universally: Foreign dignitaries, tourists from cruise ships, children, and some NGO members are exempt from the screening, which otherwise applies to individuals from a list of 71 countries. “

Ukrainian border authorities are now collecting biometric data from travelers entering the country. The biometric screening systems began operation at the start of the year across 157 border crossing checkpoints.

The biometric screening includes fingerprint scans and the matching of travelers’ passports against databases including those of INTERPOL. It is not applied universally: Foreign dignitaries, tourists from cruise ships, children, and some NGO members are exempt from the screening, which otherwise applies to individuals from a list of 71 countries. That list excludes European and North American states, but does include Ukraine’s neighbor Russia; however, Ukrainians living in areas occupied by Russia, namely Crimea, will not be subject to such checks.

The program has taken effect after Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council and its President pushed for biometric border screening last summer as a means of protecting the country against terrorism. In a statement announcing the program’s implementation, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service asserted that it will also serve to monitor visitors’ compliance with the country’s rules of stay.

Sources: Xinhua, Unian

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January 2, 2018 – by Alex Perala