U.S. To Begin Fingerprinting EU Visitors

(AP)  Visitors from European nations traveling with visas or visa-free to the United States will soon have to give 10 digital fingerprints when entering the country, a senior U.S. Homeland Security official said Monday.

Border checks could also soon include other biometric data, such as facial and eye retina scans, as the U.S. upgrades security at its ports, airports and border crossings, said P.T. Wright, the operations director for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's US-VISIT Program.

All people from European nations and others participating in the U.S. Visa-Waiver program would have to give additional prints, as would people traveling from nations where visas are needed, he said.

Wright, who was in Brussels to explain the new system to EU officials, said a pilot project at 10 major U.S. airports would be launched in late 2007, expanding the current program that calls for taking prints of two fingers and facial photographs.

Since the two-fingerprint scans were introduced in 2004, Wright said, security and convenience for travelers has gotten better.

"What we have encountered in the last four years is improved security as well as greater facilitation of the traveler coming to the United States," Wright said. "It's a very quick and simple scan of the fingers."

U.S. travel security restrictions have caused increased opposition in EU nations, amid demands from Brussels that Washington expand its visa-waiver program to include all 27 EU nations.

The current program allows citizens from most Western European countries and some other parts of the world to enter the country without visas, but excludes many of the newer EU member states.

EU data protection officials also have raised concerns in the past over the U.S. system and over a similar fingerprint system being set up by EU nations. They are keen to get the best privacy guarantees for citizens.

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[neoconrcrazy]

Welcome to the BUSH-CHENEY WORLD where nobody is trusted, evil lurks everywhere, and only we can "protect" you -

whatta load of b.s. !

to try to intercept 100, we're going to fingerprint millions of visitors ??? And this is going to "protect" us? Some of you other mentioned the mexican, canadian borders - but wait a minute here - what about the other 5 billion inhabitants of this planet? How do we get their fingerprints too?

(Bushit & Co. make Joe Stalin look real good)

[vancouverboo]

That's an easy one to avoid - just fly to Mexicali, and walk over to the US. No restrictions on entry that way. The more cheap labor the better. That's the way the Rich People and the Pope like it. Welcome to Mexicamerica.

[amazedd]

Maybe, but we can go honeymooning in Niagara Falls.

[cmp271]

Sounds like the orwellian future just arrived!!! It also shows "you can run but you can't hide" applies.

If you have never done anything wrong you have no worries. The government has us no matter what! Guess we can't go to Canada to dodge the draft now?

[amazedd]

And what Moore?

[michellem99-2009]

Step up mexicans and lay yer paw on the reader.

[amazedd]

What do you get if you cross Jabba the Hutt with Dr. Strangelove?

[amazedd]

Well, well, if it isn't ol' Strangelove infat.

[hypnotoad72]

cdfoxtrot - here's a tinfoil hat theory; but what if the ulterior motive for this form of fair security is to drive the EU to other countries; away from the US? Wouldn't help our economy much, now would it?

And when I said 'fair' I was not being sarcastic.

And I agree with R-U-KIDDING, why not make it mandatory for everybody? That way no ethnic or spiritual group can cry "Foul!".

[rushlimpdrug]

Flight from Europe to U.S. $600.00
Illegally crossing the border from Mexico to U.S.-priceless.
Illegal immigrants - everywhere you want to be.