Legislation will shortly be introduced to require carriers to provide travel document information (TDI) together with passenger name record data (PNR) (otherwise known as other passenger information (OPI)) to e-Borders to the extent that it is known to the carrier.
From March 2008 those carriers which provide OPI data under existing arrangements to Project Semaphore, the e-Borders pilot project, will be expected to continue to do so. The Government have funded transmission and transaction costs together with some systems change costs of participation in this pilot. Analysis of both OPI and TDI data have delivered significant operational benefits to border agencies, contributing to the arrest of individuals wanted for offences including murder, drug smuggling, rape and assault; and has led to the seizure of counterfeit travel documents, drugs and contraband. This arrangement however, was always with the understanding that the funding would cease in March 2008 and we will continue to fulfil our undertaking to industry to meet these costs until then.
The e-Borders Programme will cover the majority of passenger movements by 2009 and is committed to using all reasonable efforts to achieve a fair and equitable roll-out. This will be implemented progressively, in a consultative and collaborative manner with carriers and port operators.