(U) WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION SYSTEMS

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000872 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR JON GIBNEY, ACTING DIRECTOR, INR/I E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINR CVIS KFRD PINS PTER PA SUBJECT: (U) WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION SYSTEMS ASSESSMENT (C-NC6-01149) REF: SECSTATE 128198 ¶1. (U) ON AUGUST 17, 2006, CONSUL MET WITH PARAGUAYAN IMMIGRATION DIRECTOR, ARSENIO ORUE, WHO PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS IN REFTEL: ¶A. (U) NATIONAL IMMIGRATION DATABASE: 1) (SBU) WHAT COMPUTERIZED IMMIGRATION DATABASES ARE USED TO TRACK ENTRIES AND EXITS? IS THE IMMIGRATION DATABASE AVAILABLE AT ALL PORTS OF ENTRY (POES)? A STAND-ALONE COMPUTER IS STATIONED AT EACH POE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO SEA PORTS, TRES FRONTERAS, WHICH BORDERS ARGENTINA AND ITA EN RAMADA WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE YACHT AND GOLF CLUB ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF ASUNCION. THERE IS NO CENTRALIZED IMMIGRATION DATABASE THAT ALLOWS IMMIGRATION OFFICERS IN THE FIELD TO QUERY ALL IMMIGRATION RECORDS AT THIS TIME. EACH STAND-ALONE COMPUTER HOLDS INDEPENDENT RECORDS FOR THAT POE. RECORDS FROM POES ARE ALL FORWARDED TO IMMIGRATION HEADQUARTERS AND ENTERED INTO THEIR DATABASE WHICH CAN BE QUERIED BUT DOES NOT HOLD REAL TIME RECORDS. RECORDS FROM 2003 TO DATE ARE AVAILABLE. RECORDS FROM 1985 TO 2003 ARE PROJECTED TO BE DATA ENTERED IN THE FUTURE. 2) (SBU) WHAT PROBLEMS, IF ANY, LIMIT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SYSTEMS? FOR EXAMPLE, LIMITED TRAINING, POWER BROWNOUTS, BUDGETARY RESTRAINTS, CORRUPTION, ETC.? NON-CONNECTIVITY TO A CENTRALIZED DATABASE AND LACK OF FUNDING TO UPGRADE IMMIGRATION SYSTEMS LIMIT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHECKS AT POES. IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS CAN ALSO BE EASILY BRIBED. 3) (SBU) HOW OFTEN ARE NATIONAL IMMIGRATION DATABASES UPDATED? DAILY UPDATES: SILVIO PETTIROSSI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN ASUNCION GUARANI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN CIUDAD DEL ESTE FALCON ENCARNACION POES THAT ARE CLOSER TO ASUNCION ARE UPDATED WEEKLY BY FAXING THE RECORDS TO HEADQUARTERS AND ALSO FORWARDING THE INFORMATION ON HARD DISK. POES IN THE FAR CORNERS OF PARAGUAY ARE UPDATED EVERY FIFTEEN DAYS BY THE SAME METHOD. ¶B. (U) WATCHLIST AND INFORMATION SHARING: 1) (SBU) IS THERE A NAME-BASED WATCHLIST SYSTEM USED TO SCREEN TRAVELERS AT POES? THE WATCHLIST SYSTEM CONSISTS OF INFORMATION FORWARDED TO IMMIGRATION BY THE GOP'S JUDICIAL BRANCH. UPON RECEIPT OF A JUDICIAL ORDER AT HEADQUARTERS, THE RESPONSIBLE IMMIGRATION OFFICE THEN FAXES THE ORDER TO ALL POES AND THIS DATA IS ENTERED INTO EACH STAND-ALONE COMPUTER. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SILVIO PETTIROSSI AIRPORT, GUARANI AIRPORT AND ENCARNACION LAND BORDER, RECORDS ARE NOT IMMEDIATELY ENTERED AND TRAVELERS ARE NOT SCREENED AGAINST THEIR DATABASE UNTIL THE TRAVELER HAS ALREADY ENTERED OR DEPARTED PARAGUAY. 2) (SBU) WHAT DOMESTIC SOURCES OF INFORMATION POPULATE THE NAME-BASED WATCHLIST, I.E. NAMES OF DEPORTED PERSONS, TERRORIST LOOKOUTS, CRIMINAL WANTS/WARRANTS? THE ONLY INFORMATION THAT IS ON THE WATCHLIST ARE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN PROCESSED FOR CRIMES IN PARAGUAY. THIS INFORMATION IS DERIVED FROM CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED BY THE JUDICIAL BRANCH. 3) (SBU) WHAT INTERNATIONAL WATCHLISTS DO HOST COUNTRIES USE FOR SCREENING INDIVIDUALS? SUCH AS INTERPOL OR TSA NO FLY LISTS, UN, ETC. IMMIGRATION DOES NOT HAVE CONNECTIVITY TO INTERPOL OR ANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL WATCHLIST DATABASES. ACCORDING TO GOP'S IMMIGRATION DIRECTOR, IMMIGRATION OFFICERS MAINTAIN A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH AIRLINE PERSONNEL AND CLAIM THEY ARE ABLE TO OBTAIN INFORMATION FROM AIRLINE DATABASES WHEN NEEDED, HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT A REGULAR PRACTICE. 4) (SBU) HOW ARE WATCHLIST SYSTEMS NETWORKED BETWEEN PORTS OF ENTRY (AIR, LAND, SEA)? THEY ARE NOT NETWORKED BETWEEN ANY POES. 5) (SBU) ARE WATCHLIST SYSTEMS LINKED TO A STANDALONE OR INTEGRATED IMMIGRATION DATABASE BETWEEN THE IMMIGRATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND INTELLIGENCE SERVICES? THERE ARE NO WATCHLIST SYSTEMS LINKED TO THE STAND-ALONE COMPUTERS. 6) (SBU) WHO CAN ACCESS THE WATCHLIST INFORMATION? WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION SECURITY EXISTS ON THE SYSTEM? ACCESS TO IMMIGRATION TERMINALS IS LIMITED TO IMMIGRATION EMPLOYEES ONLY. EACH EMPLOYEE HAS A UNIQUE LOGON AND PASSWORD. 7) (SBU) WHAT ARE THE POLICIES/PROCEDURES WHEN A WATCHLISTED INDIVIDUAL IS ENCOUNTERED? IMMIGRATION OFFICERS IMMEDIATELY CONTACT THE LOCAL POLICE. IMMIGRATION HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DETAIN AN INDIVIDUAL FOR AN INDEFINITE TIME. 8) (SBU) WHAT BILATERAL/MULTILATERAL WATCHLIST AGREEMENTS EXIST BETWEEN HOST COUNTRIES AND THEIR NEIGHBORS? NONE 9) (SBU) DOES THE HOST COUNTRY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO CONDUCT AUTOMATED CHECKS ON PASSENGER MANIFESTS FOR AIR AND SEA ARRIVALS? THE HOST COUNTRY HAS THE CAPABILITY TO CONDUCT CHECKS FOR AIR BUT DOES NOT FOR SEA ARRIVALS. TWO SEA POES (TRES FRONTERAS AND ITA EN RAMADA) DO NOT HAVE COMPUTER SYSTEMS. AFTER PROCESSING TRAVELERS BY SEA, THE IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL GOES TO ANOTHER IMMIGRATION POE NEARBY TO ENTER THE RECORDS. 10) (SBU) DOES THE HOST COUNTRY COLLECT INFORMATION ON BOTH ENTRIES AND EXITS? YES 11) (SBU) ARE BIOMETRIC SYSTEMS IN PLACE AT PORTS OF ENTRY (AIR, LAND, SEA)? IF NO, DOES EACH COUNTRY HAVE PLANS TO INSTALL SUCH A SYSTEM? NO. THE SOUTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT RECENTLY DONATED A COMPUTERIZED ENTRY/EXIT IMMIGRATION SYSTEM TO THE GOP BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO DATE. THE SYSTEM WILL ALLOW BIOMETRIC FINGERPRINTING BUT IT IS NOT CLEAR AT THIS TIME WHETHER IT WILL HAVE A CENTRALIZED DATABASE THAT ALL POES CAN ACCESS. THE EQUIPMENT IS STILL IN KOREA AND IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN PARAGUAY IN OCTOBER 2006. IMMIGRATION PERSONNEL WILL REQUIRE TRAINING, WHICH THE KOREAN GOVERNMENT HAS OFFERED TO PROVIDE. THE IMMIGRATION DIRECTOR PLANS TO IMPLEMENT THE SYSTEM IN PHASES STARTING WITH SILVIO PETTIROSSI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN ASUNCION FOLLOWED BY PEDRO JUAN CABALLERO, CUIDAD DEL ESTE (GUARANI AIRPORT AND LAND BORDER TO/FROM FOZ DE IGUAZU, BRAZIL),FALCON AND ENCARNACION. A TOTAL OF TWENTY POES ARE EXPECTED TO BE EQUIPPED WITH THIS SYSTEM EVENTUALLY. 12) (SBU) WHAT BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGIES, IF ANY, DO THE COUNTRIES USE, I.E. FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION, FACIAL RECOGNITION, IRIS RECOGNITION, HAND GEOMETRY, RETINAL IDENTIFICATION, DNA-BASED IDENTIFICATION, KEYSTROKE DYNAMICS, GAIT ANALYSIS? ARE THE SYSTEMS ICAO COMPLIANT? NO BIOMETRICS ARE CURRENTLY IN USE. THE NEW KOREAN-DONATED EXIT AND ENTRY SYSTEM WILL ALLOW FOR BIOMETRIC FINGERPRINTING. INITIAL INSTALLATION OF THE EXIT AND ENTRY SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW FOR CONNECTIVITY TO ANY OTHER DATA BASE. THE IMMIGRATION DIRECTOR SAID THAT IN THE FUTURE, HE WOULD LIKE FOR THE SYSTEM TO HAVE CONNECTIVITY TO QUERY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER PARAGUAYAN GOVERNMENTAL DATA BASES, SIMILAR TO U.S. VISIT. BUDGETARY RESTRAINTS MAY DETER HIS PLAN. ACCORDING TO A CONTACT AT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY, THE SYSTEM IS ICAO COMPLIANT. 13) (SBU) ARE DATA QUALITY OR INTEGRITY MEASUREMENTS IN PLACE TO MONITOR BIOMETRIC COLLECTION AT POES? N/A 14) (SBU) WHICH POPULATIONS DO BIOMETRICS TRACK, PERMANENT RESIDENTS, VISA HOLDERS, TOURISTS/BUSINESSMEN, OR CITIZENS? ONCE THE NEW SYSTEM IS IMPLEMENTED, BIOMETRICS WILL BE REQUIRED OF ALL VISITORS, TO INCLUDE MERCOSUR COUNTRY CITIZENS. 15) (SBU) DO THE HOST COUNTRIES ISSUE A MACHINE-READABLE PASSPORT CONTAINING BIOMETRIC INFORMATION? NO. A) (SBU) IF SO, WHAT BIOMETRIC INFORMATION IS INCLUDED ON THE DOCUMENT, I.E. FINGERPRINT, IRIS, FACIAL RECOGNITION, ETC? N/A B) (SBU) IF NOT, DO THEY PLAN TO ISSUE A BIOMETRIC DOCUMENT IN THE FUTURE? WHEN? ACCORDING TO A SOURCE IN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY, PARAGUAY PLANS TO BEGIN ISSUING PHOTO DIGITIZED PASSPORTS IN JANUARY 2007. CASON