IRCC Issues Retention of Biometric Information Notices | MyConsultant

IRCC Issues Retention of Biometric Information Notices

IRCC is contacting clients by email and Canada Post registered mail regarding a system error that resulted in the government keeping the biometric information of some clients longer than required.

Biometric information collected as part of a client’s refugee claim or immigration application is to be destroyed once a client becomes a Canadian citizen. Due to a system error, some clients’ biometric fingerprints and biometric photos stored in immigration databases at IRCC, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), were not deleted on time.

The fingerprint information has since been deleted. Biometric photos stored in RCMP holdings have also been deleted. IRCC is working to delete biometric photographs from IRCC’s and CBSA’s holdings.

In response, IRCC is notifying affected clients, bolstering privacy measures, and consulting with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to prevent future errors.

Source: canada.ca

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