“Up to 20 per cent of visa applications are fraudulent. Bots and AI to ensure transparency in the processing of applications and security at the borders”

Increasing cross-border mobility and, due to geopolitical tensions, sudden changes in migration flows. And, consequently, in the management of consular visa issuance. Technological innovations are on the horizon, such as the European Entry/Exit System. The future of mobility will depend on digital, integrated and secure processes that balance two essential priorities: protecting borders whilst making travel simpler, more reliable and more efficient for citizens and institutions. “Our role,” explains Folco de Luca Gabrielli, an adviser to VFS Global’s Italia account management team and former Italian ambassador to Singapore and Malaysia, “is to support governments in managing the administrative aspects of the visa application process, whilst providing flexible and secure technological solutions that enable consular authorities to respond more efficiently to ongoing developments.” Since 2007, VFS Global has been processing 12 million biometric transactions a year, with 4,200 service centres across 169 countries. We therefore asked de Luca Gabrielli about the trends in the sector and the technological developments in the pipeline.

What new technologies have you adopted to speed up the management of workflows?

‘The evolution of international mobility and the growing complexity of the geopolitical landscape are making the use of innovative technologies to support the management of passenger flows increasingly strategic. Today, the challenge lies in ensuring greater efficiency, security and transparency, whilst safeguarding personal data. In this context, the responsible use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies is a key factor. VFS Global was among the first organisations to adopt a responsible approach to AI, ensuring that its use complies with data protection regulations and remains subject to continuous human oversight. The initiatives we have developed to support our government clients include generative AI chatbots operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on websites dedicated to Italia, and, in certain specific cases, a mobile-only appointment booking system with liveness detection. This technology, implemented in selected markets, verifies the applicant’s identity during the booking process, ensuring that appointments are booked exclusively by genuine applicants and helping to combat fraudulent activity and misuse of the system. In some markets, it has been established that around 20 per cent of the total volume of requests comes from fraudulent intermediaries booking appointments, which highlights the importance of robust identity verification and appointment management controls. We have also developed an automated digital waiting list that allocates appointment slots strictly in order of registration, further strengthening fairness, transparency and security in the appointment allocation process.”

Since 2007, you have processed an average of 12 million biometric transactions per year. What are your expectations for the next five years, both in terms of volume and developments?

“International travel has seen a strong recovery following the pandemic, and we expect demand to continue to grow over the next five years. This growth will be driven not only by tourism — which remains a significant sector, with spending by foreign travellers in Italia set to rise by 4.6 per cent in 2025 according to the Bank of Italy — but also by mobility linked to education, employment, business and investment. In the coming years, we anticipate a further increase in volumes and a gradual evolution of mobility management processes, partly thanks to the introduction of European systems such as the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the growing digitalisation of procedures.”