In the initial implementation of the program launched by the South African Government, five centers have been opened to enroll an initial 100,000 refugees utilizing the BIO-key/Biometric Technologies system known as the South African Refugee and Asylum Seekers Biometric Identification System. Many refugees from all over Africa lack identification documents recognized by the system currently used by the government. The new solution enables the refugees to register with the government using unique identifiers (fingerprints and photographs) as part of their application for seeking asylum in South Africa. This process includes the issuance of an identification document which helps reduce the refugees' vulnerability to refusal of services and other forms of discrimination.
The Minister of Home Affairs of South Africa, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, stated, "At Home Affairs, we recognize the importance and central role we play to enable other departments of government, private sector and public at large to function effectively and without hindrance. The biometric identification software provides us with the ability to quickly and efficiently capture the identity of refugees as part of our commitment to clear the backlog of refugees who have applied for asylum."
The Biotech/BIO-key identification system has been operating for over a year as part of a pilot program monitored by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "One of the challenges we face is updating the existing records for 46 million people into a single database accessible to all authorized governmental organizations: such as the criminal justice system; the population records of births, deaths, marriage passports, driver's licenses etc." said Edwin Dreyer, Biometric Technology's managing director. "This is a major long-term challenge, and we are leveraging our successes -- in this small but significant sector -- in the refugee identification program to tackle even greater projects within the government and in private industry."
