Fingerprints Required for Britain Visas

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Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said those applying for a British visa from any of 133 countries would now have their fingerprints checked against a database.

Byrne said the system, which the government has gradually been introducing around the world since September 2006, had already captured biometric information from more than 1 million people. He said the system had flagged nearly 500 cases of identity fraud.

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Tourists from the United States and the European Union, who do not require visas for short visits to Britain, will not be fingerprinted.