In an effort to secure borders in France ahead of the new Schengen Area Entry/ Exit System,which will come into effect from February 2022 to register non-European citizens crossing an EU external border, the French Government has selected Thales to install several hundred biometric entry and exit registration systems at various border crossings including airports situated throughout the country.
“This new European entry and exit system represents a major challenge for Member States,” said the French Ministry of the Interior. “On the one hand, they are required to be ready and compliant with the regulations by 2022; on the other hand, they are faced with the operational reality and the fact that millions of people have to be processed each year, for whom we want to offer the smoothest possible experience,” stated the French Ministry of the Interior.”
In line with the directive approved by the European Union, those countries that are part of the Schengen Area will be required to deploy pre-registration kiosks or similar equipment in order to allow non-schengen visitors to register their identity quickly and securely, including their biometric data (fingerprint and facial biometrics).
“Thales’ expertise in identity and border management provides us with technological reliability, without having to make a choice between security and ease of use,” added the French Ministry of the Interior.
The Thales Gemalto Border Kiosks will incorporate various document verification and biometric technologies, offering rapid registration for travellers, as well as highly accurate identity verification, data management protection and advanced operational fluidity at border crossings.
“The pre-registration kiosks are equipped with our state-of-the-art technologies for identity creation and verification,” explained Youzec Kurp – SVP Identity and Biometric Solutions at Thales. “They are based on software optimised for ultra-rapid checks of a document’s authenticity and intelligent detection of any attempted identity fraud. We have therefore been able to develop high-performance tools to support operations, without compromising the safety and protection of travellers’ data.”
