Agência Brasil
Recife – More than 100 Brazilians who recently visited the United States consulate offices in Recife to get a visa for travel to the US have been fingerprinted and photographed with digital equipment as part of a new identification system for travellers.
The consulate in Recife is the first in Brazil to adopt the new system. It will soon be used at consulates in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and the embassy in Brasilia. By October the system will be installed in all US embassies and consulates around the world.
According to the head of the Recife consular offices, Peter Swavely, the idea is to increase visitor security, ensure the integrity of the immigration system and safeguard citizen privacy. Swavely declared that following the 9/11 terrorist attacks the US had to implement measures that some may consider annoying to make sure something like that never happens again.
Children of less than 14 years of age, and seniors over 79, as well as diplomats and authorities are exempt from the identification process which takes less than a minute and consists of a photo and fingerprinting of the two index fingers with a laser scanner that does not leave ink stains.
