WEBCAM interviews are set to become a reality for all islanders seeking a first time passport, it has emerged.
And within three years, all passport applicants, even those requiring only a renewal, may be forced to travel to the mainland for fingerprint and iris scan samples with the launch of biometric passports in 2009.
In the meantime, as the first steps t
owards heightened security measures are taken, all first time passport applicants will, from January, have to attend a short interview at a passport office as part of a government campaign to combat fraud.
However, those living in remote locations such as the Western Isles and Skye will be interviewed through a webcam link system to prevent them having to travel to the mainland.
Describing more, a spokesperson from the Home Office commented that premises within the isles had not yet been located for the webcam process, but that they were consulting with local authorities on the issue: "We are aiming that 99% of the population will be within an hour's travel of an office. For those in remote areas like the Western Isles, we will conduct interviews over a secure webcam link in premises to be made available by a partner organisation."
However she was unable to clarify where these premises would be and so it remains unclear just how many locations across the islands will be used for this purpose and whether those living in Harris will have to travel to Stornoway or those living in Barra to South Uist and so on.
Nevertheless these changes are only the first rung in the ladder of change for the UK Passport Service, which has now been renamed the Identity and Passport Service (IPS).
The introduction of biometric passports has increased the cost of a passport to £66 and the introduction of controversial ID cards could increase costs to nearly one hundred pounds.
On top of this, islanders may have to foot the travel bill for going to the mainland to have finger prints and iris scans taken which cannot be done over a webcam link.
Looking to the future, the Home Office spokesperson added: "The UK is one of only a few western countries that does not currently require personal attendance before issuing a passport. The requirement may in future be extended to other types of passport applications. This will certainly be the case when enrolment of fingerprints and possibly iris images become needed for passports."
But for now, those without a passport will have to prepare for a short interview which will take place through the powers of technology.
And as the spokesperson added, only those committing fraud need worry about the process as only very simple questions will be asked: "People will be asked basic information about themselves - not deeply private information, but information that can be checked. The point is to prevent fraudsters stealing other peoples' identity. Applicants will provide information before the interview such as their NI number and previous addresses which will be checked against government and private sector databases. "We estimate that the interview will last between ten and twenty minutes."
So with tighter security ahead for us all, the quest to get a passport may leave many people in desperate need of a holiday.
But with identity fraud on the up across the UK, such measures are being promoted as not only a precautionary measure but an essential weapon in the fight against a crime which can have devastating effects on both individuals and the country as a whole.
