UK To Start Interviews For Passports

As of this April, first-time adult passport applicants will be called to face-to-face, 10-20 minute interviews, which "will be "vital" in helping crack identity fraud." (Identity fraud costs the UK an estimated £1.7bn a year.)

The interviews will affect some 600,000 people each year, and from 2009, interviews will also be compulsory for the millions more people who apply to renew lost, stolen or expired passports each year.

Now for the math portion: there'll be 610,000 first-time applicants each year, some 10% of the total applicants. There were 1,700 confirmed frauds detected last year.
74% of fraudulent cases were first-time adult applications. And here's the final math:
Approx. 6 million applicants each year.
Out of all 1700 confirmed cases, 1258 were new applicants, 442 renewals etc.
One confirmed fraud for every 3530 applicants.
Out of first-time applicants, who the new system targets, one confirmed fraud in 477 cases.
Out of other applicants, one confirmed fraud in 12217 cases.

So we're talking about inconveniencing a lot of people, some who'll have travel up to two hours for a short interview. Sure, its obvious that this new system is targeting the right demographic, but in doing so is adding unnecessary bureaucracy to the system, and added burden on the people.

The new system is being compared to the added airport security which people face each time they travel by air, an inconvenience which the people are expected to endure (and we do, because there's no alternative), just to get to travel. And we do so to feel safer. It's a good comparison, since the new system will really just be another hindrance to smooth travelling. The new system will cut down on 'chancers', but won't deter professional fraudsters.

So how's about these (theoretical) solutions?

• Create a quick, efficient and secure system to verify identity;
• Train security personnel better, especially in identifying fake identification cards and passports;
• Train current and future airline crews, airport personnel and ground crews better, as well as conducting FULL background checks on all personnel;
• Update security screening at all ports of entry/exit with high-tech, AVAILABLE, technologies;
• Increase funding for future technologies in relation to security measures;
• Review current safety procedures to weed out redundancies;
• Put together an independent, international commission to study all possible threats to mass transportation;
• And finally, listen to the people, the 99.999999999% of travellers who just want a smooth, pleasant trip from point A to point B, and beyond.

Pretty soon all the fun has been sucked out of air travel... Adding more inconvenience to cover up outdated methods and equipment and goverment agency mishandlings is getting out of hand. The people can't be made to live in fear and submission forever...

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6370627.stm