European Parliament votes for a biometrics identification database
The European Parliament voted for the establishment of a border management system known as the Common Identity Repository (CIR). The database will collate the identity and biometric records of over 350 million persons. Apart from EU citizens identification data, data from tourists, immigrants, and asylum seekers will also be captured. It will include identity records such as names, dates of birth, passport numbers, and other identification details as well as biometrics such as fingerprints and facial scans. Reports indicate that the CIR will consolidate data from the Schengen Information System, Eurodac, the Visa Information System (VIS) and three new systems: the European Criminal Records System for Third Country Nationals (ECRIS-TCN), the Entry/Exit System (EES), and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). The CIR will be among the world’s largest digital identification databases, similar to India’s Aadhar. It will be available to border and law enforcement officers.
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