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Visas:
The first line of defence against terrorism
Beginning
August 1, U.S. embassies and consulates have been requiring more
people applying for visas to come in for a personal interview. This
change is among many others made to strengthen the ability of US
consular officers to fulfill their role as America's first line of
defence against terrorists who would try to enter the United States to
do harm.
Following
is a statement issued by Assistant Secretary of State for Consular
Affairs, Maura Harty on the latest security measures being adopted.
In
partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security we are
committed to carry out visa policies which ensure
Americans and foreign guests are safe when they travel to the
U.S. and after they arrive.
We've
done a lot since the September 11 attack to make the visa process more
secure: expanded our data on people who should not get a visa, enhanced
our training of consular officers in specific interviewing and
counter-terrorism areas, greatly increased co-ordination on visa matters
with U.S. law enforcement and intelligence, and worked with foreign
governments to strengthen the security of the travel documents that we
count on to identify people who travel internationally. This process
still continues, and in some instances we have taken interim measures as
we focus on immediate security.
For
example, on August 2 the Department of Homeland Security announced the
suspension of two programmes designed to facilitate the travel of
persons transiting the U.S. without visas. The Transit Without Visa
programme (TWOV) and the International to International transit
programme (ITI) were suspended because recent specific intelligence
indicated that terrorist groups have been planning to exploit these
transit programmes to gain access to the U.S. or U.S. airspace without
going through the consular screening process.
Interviewing
a higher percentage of applicants is a valuable tool, and a valuable
addition to the array of safeguards that have been put in place to make
the consular screening process safer and more effective.
News
reports and the State Department's own advisory reiterate the fact that
terrorist organisations still seek to commit horrific crimes against the
innocent. We are determined that our interview requirements will be one
component of the procedure to ensure America's safety.
We
understand that the changes have made have affected all travellers. We
have devoted time, effort, and resources to meet the challenges that
attended some of the security measures put into place last summer that
caused many visitors difficulty. Improvements in automation, in liaison
with law enforcement, in interviewing, have speeded the process
considerably, and we will continue to seek even greater efficiencies.
Secretary
of State, Colin Powell has been consistently focused on the security of
our visa system. His mantra in this area has been "Secure
borders/open doors" and our commitment to both goals is firm. We
are acutely conscious of the need to facilitate travel to the United
States for the millions of legitimate visitors who come annually. The
U.S. Congress and the travel industry have both reminded us forcefully
of the need to keep our borders open while we protect the country.
We
are convinced that the increase in safety brought by a more systematic
and thorough visa screening is well worth the time and effort it costs.
Ultimately it will protect the United States and its foreign guests by
both surely detecting those travellers whom we must keep out of the U.S.
and by swiftly documenting the legitimate visitors we continue to
welcome to our country.
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