U.S. To Begin Fingerprinting EU Visitors

Airports To Enforce Security System For European Travelers By Late 2007

(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.

[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.

[lorinkundert]

Another giant leap into totalitarianism, Wait until they go door to door demanding DNA samples from the public.

[rushlimpdrug]

Message to Europeans:
Welcome to America you criminal minded people.
This story is so full of B.S. propaganda.
It amazes me how easy it is to "start" something like this yet it takes YEARS to TRY any real border security along the South.

[bequialife]

Uh, it is not the Europeans we should be worrying about. In the meantime, how many illegal drug dealing, pregnant, ill-mannered, welfare draining mexicans just crossed our border just now??

[bequialife]

Uh, it is not the Europeans we should be worrying about. In the meantime, how many illegal drug dealing, pregnant, ill-mannered, welfare draining mexicans just crossed our border just now??

[chrisross2008]

I don't trust my own British government with my personal data so why on earth would i trust a foreign one? Even if it is the US. Seems to me if the US is going to start treating all EU visitors like suspects we should start doing the same to US visitors to the EU.

[terrapin78]

I am sure that the Bu$h administrtaion will dfind a way of sc rewing this up too!

[r-u-kidding]

That's great, but why don't we start doing this for people from the Middle East and Asia first? Or how about do it for EVERYBODY!! Doesn't that just make sense?

[cdfoxtrot]

The potential for abuse by the US "authorities" is enormous. I hope Europeans vote with their feet, and take their business elsewhere.

[oakishpines]

how does the world get fed if 99 plus % of people are denied market share 99 plus % of the time?

how will farms produce enough if they consolidate until they can not afford to pay thier few highpriced selfs to feed more than a few? and as it becomes more illegal and more economically impractical to farm for oneself? (except perhaps dirt farming or other small crops with high yields and high scientific value)

how is it that, after 200,000 years of the defense of women and children and get well soon you are here why why why feed the world first aid on the trail folk: the men and the get sick soon you are gone die die die tax the world first strike on the trail folk still have all the market share, all the tax money, all armor, weapons, alcohol, and parades?

if the government spends trillions stuffing pills down the throats of 'imbalanced' folk and waving guns in the faces of 'imbalanced' folk, wouldn't they do themselves a favor to maintain little lines of folk begging for the option to beg to be tortured so the rest can opt out?

kids age five and less take 99 plus % of punishments anyway!, which means screaming at a 6 or 600 year old is the same as screaming at 99 kids, and some of those kids will die!