Fortress America
On the subject of the right of all persons to travel freely, the United Nations "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" states: Article 13 – Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
But what happens when a country makes it difficult, if not impossible, for foreigners to enter, even for legitimate purposes?
That very serious question has to be raised about the current entry policies of the U.S. government controlling who, when, and how foreigners may come to the United States. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, U.S. entry restrictions have become so severe, many say unreasonable, that hundreds of thousands of foreigners have been excluded or have just given up trying.
This has resulted in major economic losses, as tourists and business people refuse to suffer the less than friendly treatment at U.S. airports and reroute their travel to avoid American cities. Thousands of foreign students have stopped applying for admission to American colleges and universities because of the time and red tape required to be admitted to the country, thus losing a chance to educate a friendly group of future leaders whose knowledge of America will be limited.
Need for Reasonable Restrictions
There is certainly justification for increased scrutiny at American borders, but it appears the bureaucrats at the U.S. Department of so-called Homeland Security prefer to make to make travel to the U.S. unpleasant for millions of foreigners in the faint hope of perhaps deterring or detecting a few terrorists. Meanwhile hundreds of illegal entries occur on our southern border daily.
The U.S. is already one of the most restrictive countries in the world when it comes to allowing visitors into the country, but the visa waiver program started in 1986 does allow the citizens of 27 selected countries to enter for stays of up to three months without a visa.
These countries are mainly western European countries, plus Australia, New Zealand, and a few others such as Japan and, oddly enough, Brunei. Nevertheless, since last year persons entering from these and other countries have been subjected to being finger printed and photographed at entry points, some times repeatedly.
Another New Roadblock
Now another new entry restriction will be applied from the start of 2009. The people from the above named countries will only be allowed to board a plane to fly to and to enter the U.S. if each would-be traveler completes an online Internet registration process at least 72 hours prior to departure time. Of course this is just one more reason why people from these countries are going to be less likely to want to visit.
Apparently someone in the U.S. government believes the bureaucrats will be able to identify potential terrorists from these online registrations. Does anyone really believe terrorists will cooperate and give accurate, honest information when they register online?
Of course, lets not even go into the issue of the government's so-called "no fly" secret lists of names that stupidly has blocked air travel by, among others, the likes of Roman Catholic nuns, infant babes in arms, Senator Edward Kennedy and David Nelson of Ozzie and Harriet TV fame.
Speaking of Visas
The United States is not the only country, however, that can play visa games.
For American travelers headed overseas, getting a visa, when required, can be the worst part of the trip. It requires contacting a foreign embassy or consulate in the U.S. filling out forms, surrendering your passport for days or a week and paying a high fee, sometimes only with cash or a money order.
For a multi-country trip the time to get all the visas approved can take a month. It was that way decades ago, and even with the rise in global travel and online tools, the primitive system exists today. When I visited China a few years ago it took me two weeks to get the visa, and I had to pay a visa expediting company to do it for me.
Using an expediter can be expensive, often costing $150 to $400. But the system is reliable and fast, usually producing a visa overnight or in a few days.
There are about a hundred passport and visa agencies nationwide. The two biggest are CIBT, based in McLean, Va. and Travisa in Washington, D.C. For general international U.S. travel information, click here.
Visas do enable governments to keep track of visitors and control who comes and goes. The New York Times reports that with two months to go until the Olympic Games start in Beijing, some Chinese embassies and consulates have added red tape, requiring proof of round-trip air tickets, detailed land itineraries with hotel confirmations and sometimes even a bank statement.
* The Passport Book
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