UK borders will be 'exported' overseas

The government is working on a scheme designed to 'export' the country's border away from UK soil as part of its eBorders programme, according to documents leaked to Computing.

eBorders will link Whitehall systems with travel operators and overseas transport terminals so passengers are cleared to enter the UK before they leave their country of origin. Rejected passengers will be refused permission to travel.

Home Office documents seen by Computing list key components of the plan, including the Authority to Carry (ATC) scheme, a Joint Passenger Analysis Service (JPAS), a system for recording passenger arrival details and a 'self service' channel for people with biometric passports.

'The ATC scheme will provide the ability to grant or refuse a carrier the authority to carry individual passengers to the UK, based on real-time checks against Home Office databases,' says the document.

'The JPAS will assess individual passenger risk, provide advice to ports on impending arrivals, and generate alerts to relevant border agencies. This is to cover small ports as well as major scheduled routes,' it says.

The system should be live by 2008. The first stage of the programme is the two-year contract to build a proof-of-solution pilot system - called Semaphore (Computing, 3 June)- and help the government develop and run the procurement process for the main eBorders deal.

Capgemini, IBM, Detica, Serco, Anite and AtosOrigin are competing for the Semaphore contract, according to sources.

The Semaphore deal should be signed by mid-October, and delivery of the pilot is due by the end of the year. The winner of the Semaphore deal will not be able to bid for eBorders.

The main procurement for eBorders, which will build on what is learned from Semaphore, is due to start in early 2005 and should be signed by the end of the year.

eBorders is being run by the Home Office but will be closely linked to the Foreign Office's iVisa scheme, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, the intelligence agencies, HM Customs & Excise, the Passport Service's biometric passport programme, the Department of Work and Pensions, and the ID cards scheme.

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