Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ASUNCION872
2006-08-28 20:18:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Asuncion
Cable title:  

(U) WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION SYSTEMS

Tags:  PINR CVIS KFRD PINS PTER PA 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAC #0872/01 2402018
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 282018Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY ASUNCION
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4705
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

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