US moves to tighten immigration, customs procedures



Sep 12 09:59 AM US/Eastern



The United States is moving to tighten immigration and customs controls, which it says are vital to keep terrorists at bay six years after the September 11 attacks.
Under plans that have been announced, foreign travelers will need to provide 10 digital fingerprints on arrival instead of two currently, and their personal data will be transmitted to the United States before their plane takes off.

By the end of the year, virtually every container that comes into the country by sea will be screened amid concerns over possible smuggling of nuclear weapons, security officials said.

"We must move forward aggressively to build on our success to keep pace with our enemies," said Michael Chertoff, secretary of the department of homeland security, the frontline body in the US "war on terror."

In November, the United States will begin implementing the plan requiring travelers to give 10 digital fingerprints on arrival.

Ten US airports will initially have the capability to collect the 10 prints before all ports of entry are covered by the plan by the end of 2008, Chertoff told a Congressional hearing this week that reassessed US ability to ward off terror threats.

All US embassies and other posts issuing visas to visitors will, by the end of this year, be able to collect the 10 prints for verification at the points of entry.

"Capturing 10 fingerprints will allow us to search databases for latent terrorist fingerprints," Chertoff said. "If we can prevent dangerous people from infiltrating our borders then we have successfully dismantled a large part of the threat."

US border procedures were considerably tightened after the 2001 attacks, when terrorists hijacked and crashed four passenger airplanes, killing nearly 3,000 people.

The post-9/11 measures included deploying federal air marshals on flights, hardening cockpit doors, arming pilots to defend the flight deck, and strengthening air cargo security.

To supplement these measures, official said, new rules have been formulated requiring international airlines to provide US authorities their passenger lists before boarding is completed and before the plane takes off.

The rules will be effective February 2008.

"Through the advance passenger information system, we currently get the information after wheels up. We're moving to get it before the plane pulls back from the gate," Russ Knocke, spokesman for the homeland security department, told AFP.


When the rule takes effect, the department will perform watch-list checks against this verified passenger data to determine whether someone on a flight should not be allowed to take off in the airplane.

This is aimed at eliminating the potential for flight diversions.

In another move, the United States has reached an agreement with the European Union allowing Washington to share records of passenger names while protecting their privacy.

It has been collecting such data from flights originating in other regions.

They comprise information given by passengers to purchase airline tickets, including credit card numbers and telephone numbers in addition to particulars on the face of their passport.

"By using passenger name record data, you can follow the threat and potentially connect security risks," Knocke said.

In addition, regulations were unveiled this week requiring private aircraft entering the United States to provide comprehensive passenger manifest information to US authorities prior to departure.

Ultimately, the private aircraft also will undergo a physical screening process overseas before they come to the United States.

On the cargo front, officials said the United States would scan nearly 100 percent of incoming cargo for radiation at major seaports in the country by the end of 2007.

Agreements have also been drawn up with seven overseas ports to conduct the radiation screening over there, with three pacts already operational, including one in Pakistan.

Officials also said virtually all cargo would be screened at all ports of entry by the end of 2008.

The United States already requires advance information, including comprehensive manifest and shipping history, on all incoming containers.

US inspectors are also deployed at 52 foreign seaports to examine high-risk containers before they are loaded on vessels destined for the United States.






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