Latest news with #eGate
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Full list of 48 EU airports letting British holidaymakers use faster eGates this year – skipping long passport queues
MORE countries across Europe are allowing Brits to use their airport eGates - massively reducing wait times after a flight. The UK government has confirmed that Sofia Airport in Bulgaria will now allow British holidaymakers to use the much faster eGate queues. 4 Sofia Airport now allows Brits to use eGates Credit: Alamy 4 Half a million Brits visited Bulgaria last year Credit: Alamy Currently, Brits are Instead, they are directed to the alternative queue for all other passengers, meaning huge delays when going through passport security. However, Around 300,000 Brits headed to the Algarve last year, out of the 2.5million visiting Portugal. Read more on travel rules Not only has next year. Around 500,000 UK holidaymakers visited Bulgaria last year, with many heading to the popular Sunny Beach. And around 70,000 Brits visited Estonia last year. The opening of the ports will see 49 destinations permitting the use of eGates to Brits. Most read in News Travel This includes Paris , Rome, Lisbon and Tenerife. EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said: "Today's eGates win is great news for Brits travelling to the EU – and a clear sign of the Government's pragmatic reset of our relationship with Brussels and European capitals.' Heathrow airport chaos as people 'left to queue for five hours' after not being able to use eGates Full list of destinations allowing Brits to use eGates Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris Orly Airport Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Marseille Provence Airport Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport Nice Airport Eurostar Paris Gare du Nord Terminal Eurostar London St Pancras Terminal Eurotunnel Folkestone Terminal Eurotunnel Calais Terminal Port of Calais Alicante Mallorca Tenerife Lanzarote Egates Gran Canaria Ibiza Naples Airport Rome Fiumicino Airport Rome Ciampino Airport Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport Venice Marco Polo Airport Cagliari Airport Milan Malpensa Airport Milan Linate Airport Bari Airport Brindisi Airport Bergamo Airport Treviso Airport Verona Villafranca Airport Florence Airport Pisa International Airport Turin Airport Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport Catania Airport Palermo Airport Lisbon Airport Terminal 1 Faro Airport Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (exit only) Larnaca International Airport Paphos International Airport Brussels airport Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport Dublin airport Prague airport Terminal 1 Helsinki airport Sofia airport Earlier this month, He said: "We will be and are pressing to get on with this straight away. "Because for holiday makers wanting to get out this summer , they will want to know that they can do so easily, without delay and chaos." Last summer, Brits will also need to make sure they are still getting their passport stamped. Current rules only allow UK tourists to stay in Europe for 90 days out of 180 days, which is what the entry and exit stamps are for. Anyone seen to be overstaying can be banned from entering which happened to a 4 Tallinn will follow suit next year Credit: Alamy This will eventually be scrapped when the c New biometric checks will replace manual passport stamping. 4 Currently, 47 airports allow Brits to use eGates Credit: Alamy
Time Business News
13-06-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Facial Recognition and Red Flags: New Tools in Global Fugitive Hunts
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — International travel once symbolized freedom. In 2025, it increasingly symbolizes surveillance. Thanks to a convergence of biometric scanning, artificial intelligence (AI), and global law enforcement integration, modern borders have evolved into fully digitized checkpoints. These so-called 'smart borders' now function as real-time enforcement tools for INTERPOL Red Notices, identifying flagged individuals through facial recognition, often before they even realize they've been targeted. The Red Notice system was intended to facilitate international cooperation in locating and apprehending fugitives. But as technology outpaces legal safeguards, a growing body of evidence reveals that this system is now being used for political persecution, business retaliation, and even silencing dissidents abroad. The addition of facial recognition and biometric watchlists has dramatically increased the reach and danger of these notices. Amicus International Consulting, a global leader in legal identity change and extradition risk management, warns that your face is now your fingerprint, passport, and tracking device. When matched with international databases, it becomes a powerful surveillance tool—and one that is often impossible to escape unless legal steps are taken. A Red Notice, Explained An INTERPOL Red Notice is not a warrant in itself, but it serves as an international request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition. The requesting country submits a notice, and INTERPOL shares it with all 194 member states. Once in the system, it can: Appear on immigration and customs watchlists Be embedded into the passport control and eGate software Be matched against CCTV footage or airport facial recognition Freeze bank accounts or block visa applications These notices often go unchallenged, unvetted, and unannounced to the individuals they target—until the moment they are detained. Biometric Surveillance: The New Weapon of Law Enforcement Facial recognition systems are no longer limited to airports today. They are being deployed by: Train stations, embassies, metro systems, and public squares Corporate security offices and fintech companies (through KYC compliance) Mobile apps for banking, messaging, and even social media verification Government-linked public surveillance grids Many of these systems feed into law enforcement databases or national security frameworks, which, in turn, share information with INTERPOL's centralized data repository. The result is a global surveillance web capable of tracking and detaining people anywhere, even without traditional documents. Case Study: Arrest at the Airport Café In March 2025, a Belarusian software engineer with refugee status in the Netherlands was flagged by facial recognition at Zurich Airport while ordering a coffee. A Red Notice had been issued by Belarus three days earlier, accusing him of financial fraud. The notice included a scanned passport photo and was uploaded to INTERPOL's biometric alert network. Swiss authorities detained him within 20 minutes. Though later released after proving political asylum, his 48-hour detention prompted the freezing of two business accounts, the loss of a client contract, and damage to his online reputation. How Amicus International Intervenes Amicus International provides a multi-layered legal solution for individuals flagged by biometric systems associated with Red Notices. Services include: 1. Biometric Exposure Analysis Using proprietary AI models, Amicus conducts a complete analysis of the client's digital footprint, including: Countries with facial recognition linked to INTERPOL Historical visa photos or biometric scans uploaded to government systems Financial accounts, mobile devices, or online services requiring facial ID This enables Amicus to create a customized risk map, detailing where the client is vulnerable and which jurisdictions to avoid. 2. Red Notice Deletion Support Amicus files complaints to the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL's Files (CCF), seeking the deletion of Red Notices based on: Political motivation Lack of due process in the issuing country Human rights violations or asylum protection status Legal documents, witness statements, and international protections (such as refugee status or haven) are compiled into a dossier. 3. Legal Identity Reconstruction Where necessary, Amicus assists clients in: Legally changing their name, gender, and citizenship Obtaining new national identification and travel documents Updating education records, banking credentials, and professional licenses This process is always conducted within the boundaries of local and international law. 4. Second Citizenship Procurement By assisting clients in obtaining citizenship by investment, ancestry, or fast-tracked residency, Amicus helps ensure an escape route through a jurisdiction not bound by INTERPOL extradition enforcement. Case Study: The Crypto CEO Caught by Facial Scan A Vietnamese tech entrepreneur and early Bitcoin investor became the target of a politically charged Red Notice in 2023. Allegedly involved in 'financial subversion,' his company's success abroad had angered authorities back home. While attending a conference in Seoul in 2024, a facial recognition camera at the hotel entrance—part of South Korea's national security grid—matched him to an INTERPOL notice issued hours earlier. The police were notified automatically. Although he avoided arrest, the encounter led to the cancellation of his keynote appearance and spooked investors. Amicus intervened. Within six months, he had: Acquired second citizenship in Dominica Changed his legal name and personal ID Had his Red Notice challenged and later removed by INTERPOL Established a holding company under the new identity Today, he lives and operates freely across Southeast Asia. The Legal Gray Zone: Where Rights Disappear What makes facial recognition-based Red Notice enforcement so controversial is that the technology operates silently, and often without transparency. In most countries: Individuals are not notified that their face has triggered a match They are not allowed access to the algorithm or database responsible They are often detained before legal counsel is made available No warrant or judicial review is necessary in many jurisdictions This creates a system ripe for abuse. Even INTERPOL admits it cannot thoroughly vet all Red Notices before publication. Yet, once attached to biometric data, these notices become near-impossible to escape. Facial Data, Forever Traceable Unlike passports or names, your face cannot be changed easily. Once matched to a Red Notice: Facial templates are shared across databases Airline systems may deny booking Social media platforms may block KYC-verified accounts Financial firms may decline compliance requests In 2025, being matched once can trigger years of digital exclusion, even if the Red Notice is later deleted. Amicus' Unique Advantage Unlike firms that simply assist in litigation or document preparation, Amicus takes a proactive, strategic approach to biometric risk: Predictive analytics to identify where Red Notices might originate to identify where Red Notices might originate Jurisdictional shielding through citizenship diversification through citizenship diversification Privacy-first identity design , allowing clients to re-enter public life safely , allowing clients to re-enter public life safely Biometric obfuscation strategies, including legal photograph modification that defeats facial recognition without deception Warning Signs You May Be Targeted Amicus recommends seeking immediate help if you: Are contacted by a foreign embassy unexpectedly Find yourself unable to renew a passport or obtain a visa Are denied a financial service requiring facial or ID verification Suspect your country of origin has political or financial reasons to retaliate Have been publicly associated with controversial political, financial, or activist activity Conclusion: When Your Face Becomes Your File Facial recognition systems have transformed global law enforcement. But their speed, opacity, and power make them a threat not just to criminals, but to innocent individuals accused without evidence, process, or oversight. Amicus International Consulting offers a fully legal, globally compliant response to this crisis: a way to escape the invisible net before it tightens. For anyone flagged, scanned, or targeted in silence, the path forward is not hiding—it is rebuilding. Legally. Safely. Permanently. Because in today's world, the right to anonymity is no longer default—it's a defense. Contact InformationPhone: +1 (604) 200-5402Email: info@ Website:
