By Vito Fabbrizio Managing Director, Biometrics Business Unit, HID
The world of biometrics is constantly evolving, and 2024 was a transformative year as people continued to embrace the technology’s value. The use of facial recognition for border control and travel has grown rapidly, bringing both new opportunities and critical discussions about its future role in society.
At immigration checkpoints, biometric technology empowers border authorities to verify passenger identities swiftly and accurately, helping to zero in on potential threats and prevent unauthorized entry. With irrefutable identity verification powered by unique biometric traits, border security is heightened by the ability to better detect fraudulent activities and individuals of interest, safeguarding national interests.
Seamless and secure border crossings are crucial for a thriving travel industry. However, border control processes that still rely on traditional manual checks pose unnecessary risks to both national security and traveler satisfaction. Slow and cumbersome identity verification conducted by humans leads to long lines and frustrated travelers. This is where biometrics come in.
Biometric technologies, particularly facial recognition, are revolutionizing border security by providing a faster, more secure and more efficient approach to verifying traveler identities. As passenger volumes continue to rise globally, transportation authorities and immigration agencies quickly realize the value of onboarding facial recognition technology to streamline busy and mission-critical border crossings — helping improve throughput, reduce wait times and enhance the overall traveler experience.
One of the busiest international seaports in Southeast Asia, the international seaport at Batam Center, processes over 8 million travelers annually. Slow manual checks caused extremely long wait times, leading to frustration and missed connections.
To address these challenges, Indonesia Immigration and Seaport Authorities integrated a facial recognition camera and a document reader into the port’s automated border control (ABC) gate. The system immediately transformed the border crossing experience, and travelers can now enjoy a hassle-free journey.
Passengers simply approach the gate and place their passport on the document reader. Once their information is confirmed, they move through the first gate and step in front of the facial recognition camera for a quick face scan and a match against their ID document photo. The visitor then moves through the second gate. The entire process is done within seconds.
The following features of facial recognition solutions benefit both travelers and authorities:
By adopting advanced facial recognition technologies, immigration authorities can:
Facial recognition at border checkpoints is becoming a public expectation and a significant advantage for security operations. As these technologies continue to evolve, they will remain critical to balancing security needs with traveler convenience, setting new standards for modern border management in 2025 and beyond.
biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  border security  |  data privacy  |  facial recognition  |  HID  |  user experience
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