INTERIOR MINISTER PRAISES FINGER-PRINT DATA BANK
At the end of 1992, the Federal Office for Criminal Investigation (BKA) set AFIS, a computerised data base for finger-prints, in operation. Since, almost 7000 refugees who had made double or multiple asylum applications, using different names, have been detected, thanks to the system. According to Minister Seiters the quota of so-called "double-identities" rose from 5,5% in January to 20% in early April. Between January and March 118'000 foreigners applied for asylum in Germany.
Mr. Seiters said that with150'000 finger-prints of asylum seekers already storedApis had proven a full success.
Source: Berliner Zeitung, 24/25.4.93