Europe's new technological borders

Your facial features, your fingerprints and the sound of your voice: all are unique to you. National and European governments are increasingly using these unique characteristics for the purposes of identification and to decide whether you are to be permitted to cross the borders. There are iris scanners, body scanners, DNA tests, speech recognition technology, all linked to personal information held in huge databases. 

These technologies go under the general heading of 'biometrics'. A good example is the Privium iris scanner at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport. In an extensive trial, volunteers (who pay a 'membership fee') can bypass the usual queues at the passport control desk. They identify themselves by inserting their Privium Card into a machine and looking into the eyepiece. The system then compares a scan of the passenger's iris with the information held on the card. If they match, the gate opens and the passenger can proceed 'without let or hindrance'. 

Biometric technology is changing the nature of border control and immigration policing. By combining information from various sources, it is possible to build up an extremely detailed profile of a person, including his or her age, nationality, ethnic origin and state of health. 

This technology has courted some controversy and the Rathenau Institute is closely monitoring the discussions. A book entitled De migratiemachine was published in 2009. An English translation, entitled Europe's New Technological Borders followed in 2010.