Seamless border crossings are crucial to a well-integrated world economy

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. As the world goes increasingly digital, the promise of seamless travel clashes with fragmented data systems and tedious processes. Without a balanced approach that integrates personal data protection, national security and user accessibility, the intended benefits of digital borders risk being undermined.

As India rolls out a digital border and e-gates, the United Kingdom phases out passport stamps, and the European Union rolls out its Entry/Exit Scheme (EES), the importance of allowing travellers to access their travel history readily and efficiently becomes essential. Globally, a host of countries have begun using e-gates and other types of biometric checks to manage arrivals and departures. EU citizens can enter the Schengen Zone and the UK through e-gates, and do not require a physical check by an immigration officer.

United States citizens, Green Card holders and those pre-cleared through Global Entry do not get their passports stamped anymore. India is rolling out an electronic clearance system, which will be fully operational by 2025. These steps are commendable to facilitate seamless travel and arrival processes.

However, the back-end systems that support these processes—such as tracking, accessing and updating travel history—remain manual and fairly antiquated as well as inefficient. For digital and physical systems to work seamlessly, they need to be integrated and communicate with each other. These observations, drawn from personal experience and informal interviews, underscore the inefficiencies caused by fragmented data systems.