New plans by the US to introduce eye scans at immigration

November 09 2009 by Liam Clifford

US Homeland Security will collect eye-scans and fingerprints from every foreign traveller to the US.

As the last of the 600 northern-border radiation detectors were put in place, aimed at shielding the United States from the threat of nuclear weapons being smuggled across the border from Canada, Washington and US immigration were putting into motion their new plan of defence.

The Department of Homeland Security in the US is proposing to spend billions of dollars to collect eye-scans and fingerprints from every foreign traveller to the US.

The United States already demands mandatory biometric data when travellers arrive via sea and air. The reason for this is to check the person matches the details of the visa issued overseas. Currently Mexicans and Canadians are exempt from this US immigration check.

However, questions have been asked of the logic and expense involved in looking for terrorists that are leaving the country.

Most experts now believe that there is a low chance probability that terrorists would be able to gather the technical know-how and complicated planning needed to achieve a nuclear strike in the US, this however has been made clear to be Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda's plan.

See the latest Immigration News