State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman published today (Tuesday) the official auditor's report, which dealt, among other things, with biometric identity cards and passports.
Among other things, he details in the report "real loopholes" at Ben Gurion Airport, which may be known to elements seeking to exploit them, including criminal and terrorist elements. He notes that there have been a number of cases in which foreigners entered the country without being properly screened.
Engelman also addresses the passport crisis and warns that without an effective action plan - the lines will get much longer. The auditor also found that although the transition to smart ID cards began a decade ago, as of July 2022 - 3.2 million residents hold the old type of document, which is easier to forge. 2.9 million residents - 37% of passport holders, still hold the old type of passports, which are easier to forge.
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
According to Engelman, the continued use of these certificates has implications in criminal and security aspects.
Less than 11% of residents who entered the national identification system used the smart ID card to receive digital services. In mid-2022, there were 400 attempts to enter the country using fake identification documents.
Given the seriousness of the audit findings, the Comptroller recommended that the Population Authority take action to correct the deficiencies, and that the Minister of the Interior ensure that actions are taken to correct the deficiencies in the aforementioned areas, including ensuring that deficiencies in the area of security and information protection are corrected in coordination with the professional bodies responsible for this: the Shin Bet, the police, and the National Cyber Directorate.
It is also recommended that the Population Authority formulate a detailed work plan for dealing with the burden on the Authority's offices, based on data regarding expected applications (including 3.6 million applications for smart ID cards to replace cards whose validity is expected to expire in the next two years).
