In wake of 9-11, US travel industry struggles to balance security
With the six-year anniversary of 9-11, a lingering question remains for the US travel industry……….How do you keep out terrorists while remaining an attractive destination for visitors?
“Lately that discussion has centered on the question of which tourists should be required to have a visa when they come into the country,” writes Leah Rae in the Westchester, N.Y. Journal News.
“The travel industry wants to get rid of needless barriers, but some argue that the visa application process is critical to identifying potentially dangerous individuals.”
The Visa Waiver Program now allows visitors from 27 countries to visit — but not to work or study — for up to 90 days, without having to apply for a visa and paying a $100 fee.
The program requires that travelers register their names, passport numbers and other information when they make their airline reservation.
“When this technology is put into effect, the traveler will have to essentially apply online to be able to travel, from wherever they are,” said Susan Ginsburg, a visiting senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute in Washington.
Such a system is already in place in Australia, writes Ms Rae.
“It would add to an existing US system that checks passenger names against a terrorist ‘watch list’ at departure.” “Passengers then must clear inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection,” she says.
Opponents of the visa waiver program point to shoe bomber Richard Reid and al-Qaeda plotter Zacarias Moussaoui, who were admitted without visas because they were from Britain and France, both “waiver” nations.
The immigration-control group Federation for American Immigration Reform said in a recent report that the program remains a weak link in US security.
The Travel Industry Association argues that the changes will enhance, and not weaken, security.
The visa process mainly tries to screen out “intending immigrants” — those who are pretending to be tourists but intending to stay illegally, said Rick Webster, the TIA’s vice president for government affairs.
In the revamped waiver program, nations would agree to share information about potential terrorists and improve the reliability of passports and other documents.
Mr Webster said the visa waiver legislation is part of a continuing tension over travel and safety, adding, “Here we are on the eve of the sixth anniversary of 9/11.” “No other industry was devastated like travel and tourism.” “And we obviously have every interest in making sure that reasonable efforts are made, balanced efforts, to secure this country, to protect Americans and to protect all the international guests.”
Report by David Wilkening
John Alwyn-Jones
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