London, Sept 16: The border security of the UK has been strengthened, as a record number of fingerprints - over 100,000 a month - are now being collected from foreign nationals overseas applying to come to the country.

Visa applicants in 100 countries worldwide are required to provide fingerprints if they want to visit to the UK for work, study or tourism. The government has said that roll-out of this new technology has been rapid. The biometric programme has been running since last September with the government pledging to take the fingerprint of every foreign national applying for a British visa by April 2008.

Fingerprints taken as part of the visa application process are checked against UK Government records to see if the individual is already known to the Border and Immigration Agency. This has already seen over 8,000 sets of prints matched quickly and successfully to individuals of concern, proving the effectiveness of the biometric checks.

"Biometric checks are essential to protect our borders. They allow us to screen each visa applicant before they are given the right to enter the UK, meaning tighter border controls and increased security,” Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said in a statement.

"But it's not just abroad that these fingerprint records are used. Once these individuals are in the UK, the Immigration Services use the same database for enforcement activity, such as illegal working operations.

"The Border and Immigration Agency is committed to cracking down on those who abuse immigration laws. We will continue to employ new technology such as this as we come down ever harder on illegal immigrants," he added. (With Inputs from ANI)