Biometrics critical to countering terror threats

The incoming government brief from the Department of Home Affairs reveals the organisation’s increasing reliance on biometric data.

The incoming government brief from the Department of Home Affairs reveals the organisation’s increasing reliance on biometric data to detect and respond to what it calls “threats within the immig­ration program”.

The department uses bio­metrics collected from visa applications in Australia and 46 other countries to detect “persons of concern”.

People applying for a visa to Australia from those countries will have a photo of their face taken and their fingertips ­recorded on a digital finger ­scanner.

The millions of biometrics collect­ed are checked against existin­g data holdings and other databases run by Australia’s M5 immigration partners, Canada, New Zealand, Britain and the US.

The brief said “intelligence sharing with law-enforcement agencies and Five Eyes partners had strengthened” since the ­establishment of the Department of Home Affairs.

“This had resulted in more than 3000 persons confirmed or suspected of serious and organ­ised transnational crime being added to watchlists to ensure any visa applications by these ­individuals are individually ­scrutinised.”

The brief includes a separate paper from the department outlining how it administers­ the immigration and citizenship program.

It said it aimed to facilitate growth in visit­or numbers to support the national economy but had adopted a “proactive posture” that assumed some ­potential visitors want to do harm to Australia.

“The changing threat and risk environment for the immigration program has made broad, nationality-based assessment of risk with very limited pre-border risk assessment for certain cohorts — the historical electronic travel authority model — no longer appropriate­,” the brief said.

“More granular and nuanced assessment of the risk posed by individua­l visa applicants, irrespective of nationality, is required, supported by targeted­ intell­igence and greater checking capability­.

“This approach is not only intende­d to respond to the ­emerging threats and risks we face today but also underscores the non-discriminatory nature of Australia’s immigration program.’’