Just to say that so far Singapore is not using any fingerprinting equipment
and their current immigration process in all international air terminals is
incredibly relaxed and swift. There are no screens, immigration officers
just sit behind desks - bit like they do for UK and EU citizens coming in
through Heathrow. What they are planning for the future I'm not sure but
they are certainly more relaxed and efficient than the USA, Australia, and
New Zealand.
As for the fingerprinting in the USA - the first time I came across it was
when transiting through Washington Dulles (or should it be dullest?) airport
on my way to Mexico City for the ICG conference - 2005. I asked what the
information was used for and was asked back 'Do you want to enter the
country? If so don't ask questions!' So that told me! I did reply that I was
sorry but I came from a country (UK) with a freedom of information act where
I could ask such questions - but that just seemed to make him more angry
with me and as I really wanted to go to Mexico I decided to stop (also I
appreciate that the freedom of information act in the UK can be and is
applied selectively for different groups of people - I was being slightly
ironic).
However, the tiny glass screen that I had to press my pink-greased finger
onto was just covered in grease and finger prints - I thought they probably
couldn't really read them at all. Also if you have very dry fingers if often
doesn't work properly - last time I had to put so much of the pink grease on
my finger tip that I'm sure every line and whorl was full of grease and
indecipherable.
But I might be wrong - and I do wonder why they need to do it each time!
Tracey Skelton
On 2/7/08 3:24 AM, "Deb Ranjan Sinha (Gmail)" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> from this article
> http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/392
> it doesn't seem that coming overland through canada may be an option if the
> DHS
> is really detemined....it also seems that even though the UK and US have been
> the pioneers in this form of harassment, other countries (Japan, Singapore)
> are
> also catching up real fast....
>
> being an international student and having visited the 'special room' while
> coming back from outside the US, i learnt that they cannot legally use all the
> data they collect through iris-scan and finger-printing to establish my
> identity...the explanation given to me was (when they couldn't match by
> new-shaved face with the bearded picture in the visa) that they can only use
> other identification data when they suspect a 'criminal' case....i have no
> idea
> what that really means....one thing is guaranteed if you refuse to participate
> in their surveillance - you WILL be detained for a long time and eventually
> may
> even be sent back to your own country....
>
> deb.
Tracey Skelton
Associate Professor
Department of Geography
National University of Singapore
1 Arts Link
Singapore 117570
Tel: +65 6516 3860
Fax: +65 6777 3091
General Office: +65 6516 3853
Editor of Viewpoints for Children's Geographies journal
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/14733285.asp
Editorial board member of ACME: An International E-Journal for Critical
Geographies
http://www.acme-journal.org/
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