New Zealand’s Customs workers should start watching closely for fake Covid-19 test results at the border, after a spike in fraudulent activity overseas, according to a local expert.
By Digby Werthmuller
Professor Dave Parry, who works in the Department of Computer Science at Auckland University of Technology, warns that the current paper-based system has security flaws which leave it open to manipulation.
It’s been a problem seen overseas with international agencies reporting dozens of arrests at borders, where travellers are required to provide a negative test result within 72 hours of departure.
In most cases offenders have been doctoring test results, which are usually delivered on a physical piece of paper, to try and outwit border control and gain entry to a country illegally.
Professor Parry warns that New Zealand’s new border entry requirements are vulnerable to the same weakness.
“Ultimately you have to have test results which are verifiable and are realistic, so a piece of paper is not going to cut it,” he says.
“You’re going to have to have electronic communication or some sort of guarantee from the local embassy […] because you simply can’t run a system where you could have people coming in with falsified tests.”
Customs is yet to make any changes to the system but told 1 NEWS it’s confident it will be able to handle any influx of illegally activity.
“Customs is intelligence-led in its approach and we continue to monitor international developments as part of our Covid-19 response,” the agency says.
“Our officers are trained to identify different types of potentially fraudulent documents, not just Covid-19 tests”.
One option suggested by Parry is to link passport details and biometric information to tests which then has a photo or fingerprint, adding another safeguard to prevent fraudulent travellers entering the country.
“We will really want to have checks at both sides of the journey”, he says.
“My feeling is that people will be okay with accepting a little bit more intrusion into privacy in order to record their Covid status to allow them to move more freely across borders”.
Parry says the main hurdle in this process will be tapping into people’s personal information, requiring a trust that is not easily given.
Solutions are already in the works elsewhere with the International Airport Transport Association (IATA) working on developing a “Travel Pass” to help combat this growing issue. The group represents 290 airlines or 82 per cent of total global air traffic.
“The existing system of paper test and vaccine certificates needs to be modernised through digitalisation,” they told 1 NEWS.
“The IATA Travel Pass [is] a mobile app to help passengers easily and securely manage their travel in line with government requirements for Covid-19 tests or vaccines.”
Customs says they’re keeping closely engaged with initiatives to facilitate international travel, which includes the IATA Travel Pass, expected to be available in late March.
Parry believes the app would be a positive step forward but the main hurdle to overcome will be linking information between international agencies and governments.
Either way, with the world forever changed by the pandemic, there will be plenty of work ahead before international travel becomes a reality again.
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