Saw One of those Schengen Biometric Scanners Today.

[DJE]

It has been installed in the police office in Nieuwpoort. Not working yet and the - very helpful - police officer says he's waiting for software and has no idea when it will come into use. He checked us out with a passport stamp and a carbon paper form!

 

[st599]

It has been installed in the police office in Nieuwpoort. Not working yet and the - very helpful - police officer says he's waiting for software and has no idea when it will come into use. He checked us out with a passport stamp and a carbon paper form!

They've been up in the arrivals area in German airports for a while. Not exactly handheld as the UK press is describing them as.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

They've been up in the arrivals area in German airports for a while. Not exactly handheld as the UK press is describing them as.

I would be surprised if they did not have handheld devices. I enter foreign ports and customs and excise turn up, scan the passports with iPhones linked to the data base, scan the face and then release my crews. It’s not a difficult thing todo.

 

[st599]

I would be surprised if they did not have handheld devices. I enter foreign ports and customs and excise turn up, scan the passports with iPhones linked to the data base, scan the face and then release my crews. It’s not a difficult thing todo.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

So what!

 

[st599]

They aren't going to miniaturise soon, so the number of locations to check in to Schengen will be limited.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

They aren't going to miniaturise soon, so the number of locations to check in to Schengen will be limited.

They already are miniaturised and work through ordinary phones as I described. 190 people passed through USA immigration in a warehouse, especially set up to do this for a one off delivery of a vessel. The phones scanned the passports, compared them to the immigration visas, scanned our faces and I assume compared the biometrics to the passport or a database with the visa details. They may very well have scanned the visa. I already use my phone to scan my passport and log it into preflight authorisation for boarding, without having to enter passport data manually. The idea that the EU is limited to big machines is ridiculous and portable technology, use when required, will be available when rolled out. It is mostly just software and an internet connection, the tech already exists in devices.

 

[DJE]

Well the one I saw was a big black box bolted to a wall.

 

[Daydream believer]

Well the one I saw was a big black box bolted to a wall.

Don't tell us. It had a geezer inside looking through a small hole at the subject, then comparing with his book of photos, on the wall in the next room. He goes "click, click" & flashes a light in your face, then you can go through.
Or is that the British version?

 

[st599]

Don't tell us. It had a geezer inside looking through a small hole at the subject, then comparing with his book of photos, on the wall in the next room. He goes "click, click" & flashes a light in your face, then you can go through.
Or is that the British version?

Unlike all those scanners at Heathrow, I think the EU version actually works on biometrics.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Another example of identification process that is simple using existing tech.

Today I set up my Government Gateway account on line. To prove who I was the system asked some questions, then through an App, my phone camera scanned my biometric passport page, then I had to place the top half of the back of my phone over the chip in the passport which read and transmitted details on the chip, then I was asked to scan my face using the camera.

My ID was verified and access granted. I think such tech will be available to EU border officials who will use it away from large machines, such as marinas. Eventually, self service will be fairly universal as well. Maybe not for this summer’s cruise, but likely rapidly implemented.

As I said earlier, I already have had USA border officials use iPhones at a dock location warehouse to process over 100 people to enter the USA.

 

[Plum]

Well the one I saw was a big black box bolted to a wall.

Saw the one just installed in Nieuwpoort but as of July 25 it was still not working