Ygor Lutz, Chief Revenue Officer and Co-Founder of Travizory Border Security, explains harnessing the synergies of passenger data
Thanks to modern technology, an unprecedented amount of information about people planning to travel to, from, and within a nation is available today. Obtained in real time, this information includes biometric and biographic details that provide essential context to governments when vetting and risk-assessing individuals.
The perennial challenge, however, is that rates of digitalisation of border processes and adoption of new technologies in the public sector still need to be higher. While countries such as the U.S., Australia and Canada recognised the value of such data for national security several decades ago, a quick look at the rest of the world reveals a worrying need for data-driven solutions for passenger processing and risk assessment.
This article will explore two of the building blocks of the digital border: Advance Passenger Information (API) – Passenger Name Record (PNR) (automated data feeds from airlines) and eVisa or Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETA) (which collect data from travellers). The powerful combination of these data sets fosters a proactive approach to border security. Crucially, both types of data are captured before the traveller arrives at the border, giving adequate time for review and intervention.
With the annual growth in the number of international travellers and the increasing incidence of transnational crimes, leveraging advanced passenger information is no longer optional. In fact, it must be seen as a core part of any modern border.
Data-powered borders
Despite the vast benefits of digital data collection and analysis, evidence shows that approximately 50 countries globally have implemented an eVisa system, while only 70 countries have introduced both API and PNR systems. Instead, many continue to rely on manual, paper-based systems such as Visa-On-Arrival and paper landing cards. In addition to a poor traveller experience, manual systems create opportunities for human error, inefficiencies, limited verification, and poor security.
Perhaps one of the most significant shortcomings is that manual data collection does not give the government upstream visibility of who plans to travel. When tackling terrorism and transnational crime, the government’s first interaction with a traveller must happen before they reach the border. By exporting border formalities, agencies can identify potential threats or known high-risk travellers’ and prevent them from arriving. A data- centric digital system acts as a first line of defence, ensuring that only approved and vetted travellers’ can present themselves at the border.
The synergistic role of API-PNR, ETAs and eVisas
An integrated border management system should take advantage of the synergies between API-PNR, ETAs, and eVisas. Each system amplifies the capabilities of the others, providing comprehensive context to enhance security assessments and streamline the arrival process. Anecdotal evidence suggests that replacing at-embassy visas with an eVisa and supplementing an Electronic Travel Authorisation with API-PNR can strengthen border security by up to 20-fold.
Pre-travel verification
ETAs and eVisas enable authorities to verify travellers’ identity, documentation and purpose of visit before they embark on their journey. This pre-travel screening ensures that only individuals who meet the entry requirements are allowed to travel, reducing the risk of inadmissible persons arriving at the border. Introducing an eVisa and ETA in tandem will enable governments to screen every traveller – including those from visa-waiver nations – of increasing importance when navigating today’s threat landscape.
Enhanced screening and profiling
The detailed information from PNR, when combined with the biographical data from API and the pre-verified information from ETAs and eVisas, offers a richer context for security assessments. This enhanced data set supports more accurate and efficient identification of high-risk individuals such as terrorists or those involved in human or drug trafficking.
The Travizory Visitor Management PlatformTM uniquely combines these data sets into a single view of the traveller, automatically identifying discrepancies, using AI and ML technology to analyse traveller data accurately and at scale. In these cases, red flags identified in one data set can be cross-referenced with the others, providing a more holistic view of potential threats. It also supports relationship mapping and the establishment of undeclared networks by cross-checking the information provided by travellers.
Streamlined border processes
By knowing who is due to arrive at the border, authorities can facilitate faster and more efficient passenger processing at border control points. Low-risk travellers benefit from expedited clearance, while high-risk individuals undergo additional scrutiny. The Seychelles International Airport, working with Travizory, has completely digitalised its border processes, including the installation of a non-stop walk-through Biometric Corridor to streamline arrivals. Since then, the Airport has recorded an 84% reduction in passenger processing times.
Conclusion: passenger data for border control
For decades, it was the norm for one of the first interactions between a government and a traveller to happen at the border crossing point. However, when navigating the modern threat landscape, governments must harness the rich data available to intercept threats at the point of origin. By failing to implement data-driven systems, risk assessment is inefficient and, in some cases, non-existent.
The beauty of today’s integrated systems is that they eliminate silos and encourage a data-first culture. By building a comprehensive profile of the individual traveller based on various data sources, border agencies can build a more accurate profile of an individual, identify macro trends and anticipate potential threats.
