U.S. proposals on visa rules raise fears in Europe

Found on International Herald Tribune on Friday, 15 June 2007
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Measures moving through Congress, including a requirement for travelers in some countries to register travel plans online 48 hours before departure, have raised fears in Europe of disruptions in the trans-Atlantic flow of business and leisure travel.

Along with online registration, the updated program would require new and existing member countries to improve data-sharing; more rigorously report lost and stolen passports (not just blank passports); and guarantee they will repatriate nationals if those people are ordered out of the United States.

"It's really a 21st-century model," said James Carafano, a Heritage Foundation analyst who specializes in homeland security. "It'll all be done electronically and biometrically. And it really doesn't compromise your privacy."

Oh yes, this is so 21st-century like. It sounds more like 1933 or 1984 to me. The next law will probably require everybody to be equipped with wristbands for 24/7 monitoring, just like criminals: if you leave your route, go directly to Guantanamo – do not pass Go. Every new law makes the US less and less interesting to visit; and even with all that "security", they wouldn't be able to stop another 9/11, because the terrorists will learn and adapt.