[2017-09-05] Finland Solves Refugee Identity with Blockchain Debit Cards

[Terraformer]

Finland has said it has “solved” the problem of refugee identity, using the Blockchain to record data of new residents.

As part of its commitment to support asylum seekers, Finland is providing arrivals with a prepaid debit card instead of cash, and linking the identity of cardholders to the Blockchain.

As Technology Review reports, quoting Finnish Immigration Service director Jouko Salonen, the issue of “strongly authenticated identity” is no longer a problem.

“We have found a way to solve that,” he told the publication.

The cards are the product of local startup MONI, and function more like a bank account replacement than a simple payment device.

In issuing them, Finnish authorities are able to track both spending and identity with the added benefit that the Blockchain data is immutable.

“Our purpose has always been financial inclusion, and especially to help people in developing countries,” MONI CEO Antti Pennanen added.

A cross-Europe effort to solve the problem of refugee identity is currently a topic of debate for the European Parliament.

A task force is looking into the options for using the Ethereum Blockchain to alleviate the problem, with the latest information showing an allocation of €850,000 ($1 mln) for 2017 having been half spent.

“[...] EU governments in partnerships with other countries and organizations (e.g. NGOs) need innovative solutions to manage increasing flows of migrants and their temporary stay in different countries,” the organization commented last month.”

https://cointelegraph.com/news/finland-solves-refugee-identity-with-blockchain-debit-cards

[Taki]

That's really progressive. Finelly somebody find the way for solving the problem of identity for payment cards. I think other countries will gladly accept the invention and start to use it too.

[iamTom123]

That's really progressive. Finelly somebody find the way for solving the problem of identity for payment cards. I think other countries will gladly accept the invention and start to use it too.

There are really so many things that the blockchain technology can impact on, influence with and upgrade up. This story of how Finland is able to solve identity and tracking problems using blockchain innovation on the thousands of refugees that have already entered the country is showing us the many possibilities that may soon be popping up right before our eyes...all because of Satoshi's gift to mankind the blockchain technology no less. In the coming months, there would be more stories on how great blockchain can be in promoting better management, acceptable level of transparency and much more effective systems that can all blessed us in so many ways.