Retention of Biometric Data
Dear Home Office,
I previously requested the release of your guidance for destruction of biometric data of eea nationals. This can be seen on What Do They Know: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/d...
It has been pointed out that I may have incorrectly phrased my request to yourself.
Can you please provide myself with the guidance you store relating to the retention of biometric data.
Can you please provide your guidance on:
* purpose limitation and proportionality of data processed in relation to biometric data
* obtaining, storing, and access to biometric data
Please provide me information you store, which outlines the measures which you implement to prevent unlawful or unauthorised access to and collection of biometric data
Please provide me the information you store, which outlines the processing operations likely to present speciffic risks to the rights and freedoms of data subjects.
Have the Home Office contacted the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at any point in relation to storage of Biometric Data. Please provide any reports / documentation produced by ICO checks.
Please provide guidance you store, which outlines security obligations in relation to biometric data.
If you store any further guidance relating to the obtaining, storage, destruction or otherwise of biometric data, which is in current usage, please provide that guidance to myself also.
In short: Please provide a full copy of all guidance relating to biometric data, which is currently applicable.
Yours faithfully,
Amit Hidri
Thank you for contacting the Home Office FOI Requests mailbox.
The Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2000 provides public access to
recorded information held by the department.
If you have submitted a valid FoI request, we will acknowledge your
request within 24 hours, and aim to provide the information requested
within 20 working days as specified under the FoI Act.
Please note we are unable to respond to non-FOI immigration enquiries. If
you have a general immigration enquiry, or require an update on a specific
case, contact information can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati... and
https://www.gov.uk/visas-immigration
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
Dear Amit Hidri
Thank you for your recent e mail concerning the above matter.
We are dealing with your enquiry and aim to send a response by 29/08/2014
Regards
Information Management Services (IMS)
Corporate Services
[1]www.gov.uk/home-office
Please find attached a letter about your Freedom of Information request
Information Access Team
Dear Home Office,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Home Office's handling of my FOI request 'Retention of Biometric Data'.
32457
You stated a response would be provided by September 24th. I am still awaiting your response. Please can you provide the information requested.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...
Yours faithfully,
Amit Hidri
Thank you for contacting the Home Office FOI Requests mailbox.
The Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2000 provides public access to
recorded information held by the department.
If you have submitted a valid FoI request, we will acknowledge your
request within 24 hours, and aim to provide the information requested
within 20 working days as specified under the FoI Act.
Please note we are unable to respond to non-FOI immigration enquiries. If
you have a general immigration enquiry, or require an update on a specific
case, contact information can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati... and
https://www.gov.uk/visas-immigration
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
Dear Mr/ Ms Hidri
I write further to our letter of 29 August 2014 informing you that we
needed to extend the FOI response period to the 26 September 2014.
Unfortunately as you are aware, you have yet to receive a response to your
request for information. Although we did aim to respond by 26 September
2014, consideration of this case is taking longer than we anticipated, so
we have been unable to do so. I would like to apologise for this delay,
but want to reassure you that your request is under active consideration.
I cannot say precisely when we will be in a position to provide a
substantive response, but I hope that the delay will not be too long.
Yours sincerely
Information Access Team
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
BritCits left an annotation ()
Perhaps one for the Information Commissioner? This length of time is unacceptable for the provision of what should be a clear and transparent policy.
Dear Home Office,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Home Office's handling of my FOI request 'Retention of Biometric Data'.
32457
I am still awaiting your response. Please can you provide the information requested.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...
Yours faithfully,
Amit Hidri
Thank you for contacting the Home Office FOI Requests mailbox.
The Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2000 provides public access to
recorded information held by the department.
If you have submitted a valid FoI request, we will acknowledge your
request within 48 hours, and aim to provide the information requested
within 20 working days as specified under the FoI Act
PLEASE NOTE
If you have a general immigration enquiry, or require an update on a
specific case, you should contact UKVI directly, contact information can
be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati... and
[1]https://www.gov.uk/visas-immigration
General enquiries should be directed to [2][email address]
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.gov.uk/visas-immigration
2. mailto:[email%20address]
Amit Hidri left an annotation ()
To think that this information should be available to the Information Commissioner I do not understand why I have failed to receive my response to date. This request has been ongoing for almost a year.
Amit Hidri
Thank you for contacting the Home Office
This will be handled as an Time Complaint of your Freedom of Information
request (case ref 32457) and has been assigned to a caseworker to
investigate and respond to you in due course.
If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you
FOI Requests
Home Office
Please find attached, a response to your Freedom of Information enquiry
Information Access Team
Dear Mr. Hidri,
Please see attached final response for the above time complaint (FOI
32457, Hidri).
Hope it helps.
Many thanks,
Yours sincerely,
G. Banerjee
Information Access Team
Knowledge and Information Management Unit
Performance and Risk Directorate
Home Office
LGR Floor, Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street,
London SW1P 4DF
[1]www.gov.uk/home-office
Need help with your information? Visit the new [2]Manage information pages
on Horizon
From: FOI Requests
Sent: 06 January 2015 15:55
To: '[FOI #222368 email]'
Subject: Time Complaint: 32457 (Amit Hidri) 2014-01-06 (IMS)
acknowledgement
Amit Hidri
Thank you for contacting the Home Office
This will be handled as an Time Complaint of your Freedom of Information
request (case ref 32457) and has been assigned to a caseworker to
investigate and respond to you in due course.
If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you
FOI Requests
Home Office
Dear Home Office,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Home Office's handling of my FOI request 'Retention of Biometric Data' 32457.
I did submit this request to yourselves on 14th Jan, but I submitted it via my other request on WDTK. Please respond via this email address!
For ease of reference, please see:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/d... (as linked to in my original request) which clearly states "as to do so would breach Article 8 and 14 of the ECHR (as they are not Persons Subject to Immigration Control)". *(I am sure you will see where my issue with your response comes from).
I note that you have released information relating to the police
force. None of which includes the term "Family member of an EEA
National" - the reason being: This request focused on Immigration,
as you know very well.
You have not made a reasonable assumption on this request, instead,
you have absolutely and completely avoided providing the
information of which I requested.
Please provide all Biometric Data relating to Immigration cases. By
avoiding immigration, I believe that you have deliberately avoided
the information asked for to be released. The term Family Member of
an EEA National should of immediately sparked immigration,
considering my communication with you over the past year on this
subject.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/r...
Yours faithfully,
Amit Hidri
Thank you for contacting the Home Office FOI Requests mailbox.
The Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2000 provides public access to
recorded information held by the department.
If you have submitted a valid FoI request, we will acknowledge your
request within 48 hours, and aim to provide the information requested
within 20 working days as specified under the FoI Act
PLEASE NOTE
If you have a general immigration enquiry, or require an update on a
specific case, you should contact UKVI directly, contact information can
be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati... and
[1]https://www.gov.uk/visas-immigration
General enquiries should be directed to [2][email address]
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.gov.uk/visas-immigration
2. mailto:[email%20address]
Wayne Pearsall left an annotation ()
The Home Office must get through some paper... Avoiding the Question 2: http://youtu.be/VMqnK6aOM3U
Amit Hidri
Thank you for contacting the Home Office
This will be handled as an Internal Review of your Freedom of Information
request (case ref 32457) and has been assigned to a caseworker to
investigate and respond to you in due course.
If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you
FOI Requests
Home Office
Dear Home Office,
case ref 32457
Please can you confirm the status of my FOI Internal Review? It has been over two months since you stated I would receive a response "In due course", and the ICO are very clear that it expects that a P.A. completes an Internal Review within 40 days.
Yours faithfully,
Amit Hidri
Thank you for contacting the Home Office FOI Requests mailbox.
The Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2000 provides public access to
recorded information held by the department.
If you have submitted a valid FoI request, we will acknowledge your
request within 48 hours, and aim to provide the information requested
within 20 working days as specified under the FoI Act
PLEASE NOTE
If you have a general immigration enquiry, or require an update on a
specific case, you should contact UKVI directly, contact information can
be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisati... and
[1]https://www.gov.uk/visas-immigration
General enquiries should be directed to [2][email address]
Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or
recorded for legal purposes.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.gov.uk/visas-immigration
2. mailto:[email%20address]
Amit Hidri left an annotation ()
Given that the Home Office's new EEA(FM) form which is applicable from 6th April 2015 https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio... states a legal obligation to supply biometric data this must mean that the Home Office have consulted the ICO as clearly outlined by the EC in their communication in 2012?
Dear Mr Hidri,
I confirm your request for an internal review into the handling of FOI request 32457 is under active consideration and you will receive the outcome shortly.
I apologise for the delay in you receiving a response.
Yours sincerely
L. Picton
Richard Taylor left an annotation ()
A Senior Security Manager from the Home Office (apparently a private contractor filling this role) has contacted WhatDoTheyKnow.com asking us to take down the document released as "Annex G.pdf" above.
Following this correspondence a mobile number, and some email addresses have been removed. Our system usually removes such material automatically but it couldn't cope with the formatting in this case. The address of a Home Office office has also been removed.
The Home Office claimed the document "is too sensitive to release on the public domain as it potentially provides helpful information to any would-be hacker/attacker".
We responded to say:
"The document was released in response to a request about how biometric data is stored by the Home Office. Information on how the home-office IT systems are secured was exactly what was being sought. You have not identified any specific material which you consider would be helpful to a hacker/attacker. I note that sections of the document on passwords and physical security were redacted before release; what remains appears to be internal administrative procedures."
The Home Office also said: "references to operational systems such as "IABS" should also be removed as that poses a security risk to the system in question."
We replied: "The IABS (Immigration and asylum biometric system) is mentioned in any documents on the Home Office's own website as well as elsewhere on the web including in evidence to Parliamentary committees. We will not be removing references to it from our website."
--
Richard - WhatDoTheyKnow.com volunteer
Dear A Hidri,
Please see the attached outcome of the internal review into the handling
of FOI request 32457.
I apologise for the delay in you receiving a response.
Yours sincerely
L. Picton
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Wayne Pearsall left an annotation ()
If the ICO have conducted checks then they should hold the information also: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i...