Two fingerprints a minute for visa body

The UK's visa body is checking a set of fingerprints every 30 seconds of every day as part of its biometric application programme.

Publishing it's annual report, UKvisas said half a million sets of fingerprints have been taken since the biometric security programme began last year, which makes fingerprinting compulsory for foreign nationals applying to enter the UK from half the countries in the world.

"Recording biometric information allows us to fix an individual's identity at the earliest point practicable and track their future dealings with the UK," said Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister Dr Kim Howells, in a statement. "In the past year, we have started to introduce biometric data collection technology to the visa application process. This is a key part of our objective of strengthening our borders."

Last week, the Home Office announced that its £1.2 billion e-borders project had caught thousands of criminals - and said the border control databases could be used to ensure government fines are paid.

With UKvisas, the fingerprints are compared to UK government records. Over 6,000 sets have matched with people already known to immigration services, UKvisas said. The data is also used to check eligibility for work or to reissue a visa if it is lost.

"New fingerprint visas are fast becoming our first line of defence against illegal immigration," said Home Office minster Liam Byrne, in a statement. "By collecting fingerprint information on foreign nationals coming to the UK in advance of their journey, we are building a new overseas border control which is flushing out the false visa applicants."

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