Break Free

After years of setbacks, Europe’s Entry/Exit System (EES) finally launched yesterday, Oct. 12.

The EES is an automated IT system that registers non-EU nationals traveling into and across the borders of 29 participating countries for short stays (defined as up to 90 days within any 180-day period).

The system collects, records, and stores the information listed in your travel document(s) such as your full name, date of birth, etc., as well as the date and place of each entry and exit. In addition, and here is where it’s causing a fuss, it logs your biometric data including a facial scan and fingerprints.

I’ll be the first to tell you computers are not to be trusted. I get the privacy concerns, the potential for mass surveillance and discrimination, and the risk of identity theft and technical inaccuracies.

I can also understand the view that fingerprinting should be the preserve of crooks, conmen, and corrupt politicians… but that’s not the reality of today’s world.

Indeed, the U.S. has been taking fingerprints and scanning photographs of visitors since 2004 and I’ve yet to hear of a case where an innocent party going on vacation ended up in the slammer.

And, if Europe is somewhere you were considering living long-term, having your biometrics taken and stored is par for the course in visa applications.

The stated purpose of the EES is to make border checks faster and more efficient, to improve security, and combat crime. The reality is, as the process rolls out, it will mean longer queues, system meltdowns, and frustration for travelers. On the upside, the likelihood of it turning your life into some sort of Minority Report hellscape is slim to none.

If you are in the market for a dystopian nightmare, look no further than the U.K. and Keir Starmer’s announcement of a new digital ID card—the BritCard—set to be mandatory for all working adults resident in the country.

The U.K. has a population of over 69 million people. Everyone legally resident in the country is issued a National Insurance (NI) number as they turn 16. This lifetime personal code is essential for employment. More than 55 million residents possess a passport and 42 million hold a driving license, begging the question: Why is yet another form of ID required?

Plus, the U.K. government is currently migrating all visa holders to an eVisa system which, you guessed it, takes and stores your biometric data.

Self-described socialist Starmer says the BritCard will help the government to tackle the ongoing illegal migrant crisis. Why someone who enters the country illegally would sign up for a government issued ID—and how they would prove their identity to qualify for one—perhaps only he can explain.

The more plausible reasoning for the BritCard’s introduction is to link up all the various systems already in place, allowing the government to better track your activity across the board.

The public backlash has been significant. A petition on the official U.K. Parliament website has exceeded 2.5 million signatures, potentially triggering a parliamentary debate. Popcorn at the ready for that.

Political parties in Northern Ireland have united in their opposition to the proposal with Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill calling it “Ludicrous… ill-thought out… [and] an attack on the Good Friday Agreement and on the rights of Irish citizens in the North of Ireland.”

And, wading in from El Salvador in a post on X, President Nayib Bukele drew comparisons between the BritCard proposal and the Bible’s “Mark of the Beast” as described in the Book of Revelation.

Whether digital IDs are the work of the devil, I’ll leave for you to decide. Here’s what I do know… In today’s world, you’re not going to be able to avoid telling your government who you are and what you’re doing unless you want to go on the lamb and I don’t recommend what’s sure to be a high-stress lifestyle choice.

The better, smarter path is the one I’ve long chosen for myself: offshore diversification. It’s the ultimate way to play by the rules and still win the game.

Everything I do is 100% legal but the strategies I employ mean I’ve minimized my tax burden, hold a back-up residency and citizenship, have secured my assets held across the globe, and protected my legacy for generations to come.

So sure, some desk jockey at passport control knows who I am. I can live with that.

Being a part of the system is inevitable. Being at the mercy of it is not.

Stay diversified,

Lief Simon
Editor, Offshore Living Letter