The US government says it wants airlines and cruiseliners to take biometric data from foreigners leaving the country under new plans aimed at fighting terrorism and illegal immigration.

Since January 2004, immigration services have taken a photo and fingerprints from each foreigner entering the United States to identify those using a false name and to stop terrorists, drug traffickers or illegal immigrants.

More than 90 million prints have already been collected, but under a proposed law announced by the minister of homeland security today, the system would be expanded to every foreigner leaving the country by sea or air.