.png)
In 2018, the government of Turkey sought to improve the administration of its Syrian refugee efforts by adding biometric features to the registration system. The project included the collection of fingerprints for a more efficient distribution of welfare and financial aid.
The civil war in Syria has resulted in a massive humanitarian crisis, driving some 5.6 million refugees to flee the country and seek safe harbor in neighboring countries. Turkey itself has already welcomed close to 3.8 Million of such refugees, with each individual needing shelter, food, healthcare, education, security and social services. With the conflict in Syria not showing signs of abating, the government of Turkey has recognized that it will be in it for the long haul and has taken steps to address the issue sustainably.
In 2015, it has established the Directorate General of Migration Management to help the Ministry of Interior administer the rapidly growing refugee efforts. At the root of the agency’s problems is identity management. Lack of IDs, proliferation of fake IDs and fake documents, or missing passports have hindered the administration of basic services such as welfare and healthcare. The problem has even spilled over to law enforcement as the police have had to contend with the refugee information database not being fully integrated with their own system.
To solve these problems, the government turned to fingerprint biometrics. In addition to other requirements, the new system also needed to be advanced enough to overcome the problem of dry fingers and unreadable prints caused by the harsh environment and in hospitable weather conditions.
FBI FAP 20 & STQC Certified Optical Fingerprint Scanner
After rigorous trials, the Directorate General of Migration Management decided on Aratek’s A600 optical fingerprint scanner. The A600 equipped with superior FBI PIV/FAP 20 optical sensor that captures high quality prints even in the most punishing conditions, it easily overcomes the dry finger problem. Its anti-spoofing Live Finger Detection effectively prevents fraud and provides an extra layer of security. The availability of Windows, Android and Linux Software Development Kit (SDK) allows for easy integration with the police refugee database and matching engine. With its USB interface, local law enforcement could easily use the A600 scanner on their notebook, computer and other mobile devices in the field.
Aratek A600 scanner has been proven to capture extremely high-quality fingerprints resulting in a robust database that helps in the day-to-day administration of the refugee program. This has allowed Migration Management authorities to monitor statistics and reports at-a-glance, enabling policymakers to make informed decisions.
Live Finger Detection, duplicate checking and rapid speed matching features of A600 scanner have reduced incidents of Fake ID and fake documentation to almost zero, saving millions in government resources.
Aratek’s A600 Scanner has increased the efficiency and security of welfare distribution and healthcare. The registration and local tracing of refugees have been significantly speeded up even as they conform with the highest biometric standards.
