CWT informs you
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Faster through passport control at Schiphol Airport
As of Wednesday May 26, 2010, people with a European Union passport can pass the border at Schiphol Airport without meeting the military police. When passing the border, you scan your travel documents at an electronic gate at the border.
It concerns a pilot meant to stimulate the flow. At this point there are often long queues at passport control. Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin and CEO Jos Nijhuis Schiphol airport gave the green light on Wednesday for a trial with such gates, which are easy to install. The gates cost 100,000 euro’s each and a sum of 30 million had been reserved, according to a Justice spokesman.
Not everyone can use the gate yet. Since 28 August 2006, all passports in the Netherlands are being issued with a biometric features chip, such as facial features.
The new gates read the information from the travel document. Simultaneously, a picture is being taken of the person standing in the gate. The data from the passport are then compared to the newly created image. With older passports this is not possible.
"With this new method it can be determined with certainty that the person that crosses the border is indeed the person whose travel document has been read. Just as the military police is doing already now, the data are checked for outstanding fines, imprisonment or international alerts", the spokesperson said.
Besides holders of EU passports, this border crossing is also possible for inhabitants from the European Economic Area and Switzerland. The trial continues until 30 June 2010.
Source: ANP
