US extends border-tagging to allies
Tightening its defenses against terrorism, the US yesterday began fingerprinting and photographing visitors from some of America’s staunchest allies upon their arrival in this country.
The Homeland Security Department estimated the new requirements would affect 33,000 visitors a day but would add only 15 seconds to the processing time. The fingerprinting is done digitally, sparing travelers from getting their fingers smudged with ink.
Ana Hinojosa, area port director for US Customs and Border Protection at the Los Angeles International Airport, said the additional screenings “will significantly enhance our security posture”.
“Terrorists don’t necessarily have a particular nationality, or a particular name, age,” she said. “It’s a moving target and we need to be able to adapt.”
The security requirements were already in place for nearly all other nations. As of yesterday, they were expanded to 27 countries whose citizens do not need visas for 90-day visits. Those countries include Ireland, England, Australia, Italy and Japan.
The program went into effect at the country’s 115 international airports and 14 seaports, and will be expanded to border crossings later.
The 27 countries affected by the change are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Great Britain.
