Bahrain will introduce biometric tests at its borders in a move to beef up security, an Interior Ministry official has reportedly said.

He said the face and eye recognition technology would be added to prevent blacklisted expatriate workers from re-entering the Gulf state.

It could also help authorities bar unwanted opposition members as it continues to quell a violent uprising.

Japanese and French firms had been hired to advise on the project, according to Gulf Daily News.

The official said Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa had approved the decision without allowing MPs to vote on the proposal.

“We are currently working with the Criminal Investigation Directorate, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority and the Central Informatics Organisation to establish databases and place new systems and machines to help us in implementation,” the official was quoted as saying.