Idemia wins €7.5M immigration biometrics contract in Belgium

Idemia has won a 7.47 million euro (US$8.7 million) contract to renew and expand the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) used by the Belgian Immigration Office.

The tender was awarded to Idemia Identity & Security France in March. The contact includes converting existing databases, containing fingerprints, facial images and alphanumeric data, as well as including ID photos among biometric data. The ABIS system manages biometric data of third-country nationals.

“Once the new ABIS system is delivered, it will be possible to purchase annually renewable licenses, including maintenance, support, and potential customizations, for a maximum period of 10 years,” the tender notes.

The French security giant provides its ABIS to government and law enforcement agencies worldwide, from the U.S. to South Africa and Australia. The company recently submitted a bid for Sweden’s Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) ABIS, but the 30 million Swedish kronor ($3.2 million) contract was awarded to a Thales subsidiary called AB Svenska Pass.​ Idemia I&S was the only bidder for Belgium’s immigration biometrics contract.

Idemia Public Security is also playing a role in implementing the EU biometric border registration scheme, the Entry-Exit System (EES). The company is presenting on in-vehicle border control at the World Border Security Congress in Vienna, Austria, on April 16th.

Article Topics

ABIS  |  Belgium  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  border management  |  IDEMIA  |  immigration