Border controlU.S. introduces new security measures to screen Western-passport travelers
At least 3,000 of the 15,000 foreign fighters in Syria are from Australia and Europe. DHS has introduced new screening measures for travelers from Europe, Australia, and other allied nations due to concerns about the increasing number of Islamist militants who have fought in Syria and Iraq alongside the Islamic State (ISIS) and could travel freely to the United States using their Western passports.
DHS has introduced new screening measures for travelers from Europe, Australia, and other allied nations due to concerns about the increasing number of Islamist militants who have fought in Syria and Iraq alongside the Islamic State (ISIS) and could travel freely to the United States using their Western passports. The new procedures, which could demand verification of travel and employment history, are meant to supplement the 2008 Electronic System for Travel Authorization program, which requires travelers from most Western countries to submit detailed information online and obtain an authorization code before boarding an aircraft or ship to the United States.
The Washington Post reports that affected travelers will be required to disclose whether they hold passports from multiple countries, or whether they have previously used other names or aliases. Data collected will be screened against U.S. State Department and terrorism watch lists. The new requirements are needed “to learn more about travelers from countries from whom we do not require a visa.” said DHS chief Jeh Johnson. Adding that the new requirements “will not hinder lawful trade and travel.”
ISIS has called upon its fighters with Western passports to carry out attacks in the United States and other Western nations. At least 3,000 of the 15,000 foreign fighters in Syria are from Australia and Europe. France, Germany, and Britain have launched efforts to prevent their citizens from traveling to Syria to join ISIS. “Many of the leading visa- waiver countries are seeing their citizens going to Syria to join (ISIS) or al-Qaeda affiliates in that country, and potentially returning home with training and new skills,” a senior DHS official said. “We want to ensure that we know exactly who is coming and have the most information possible to make good decisions.”
Under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization program, DHS has processed about sixty-million million applications. While most are approved instantly, roughly 22,500 travelers have had to undergo additional screening by U.S. consular officials because of discrepancies in their passports. 4,300 applicants have been denied permission to travel due to possible links to entries in the U.S. database of suspected terrorists.
