DHS taking action to further strengthen Visa Waiver Program

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (KUNA) -- The US announced on Friday it is taking an action to further strengthen "already robust" national security and immigration enforcement elements of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) in consultation with the Department of State and other federal agencies.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said these enhancements include requiring VWP countries "to use counterterrorism information to better screen travelers, assessing VWP countries to ensure they implement safeguards against the aviation sector, and requiring certain VWP countries to initiate public information campaigns to reduce overstays." Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen stressed that the US faces "an adaptive and agile enemy, as terrorists continue to explore ways to reach our country and to direct, enable, and inspire attacks against us." "It's critically important we stay ahead of these threats by improving our security posture. These enhancements will strengthen the program, and they are part of our continued efforts to raise the baseline for homeland security across the board," she affirmed.
DHS is also calling on Congress to codify existing VWP requirements to bolster efforts in several areas, such as "reporting of foreign terrorist fighter information to multilateral organizations, such as INTERPOL and EUROPOL; systematically collecting and analyzing passenger travel data and concluding arrangements to permit U.S. Federal Air Marshals to operate onboard US air carriers for last point of departure flights to the US." The DHS noted that it has "assessed that these security enhancements will not hinder lawful trade and travel. Qualified nationals will continue to be able to travel to the United States under the VWP.
"These measures will benefit all US-bound visitors by promoting a safe and secure travel system," it stressed. (end) si.hm