26-9-2008
Grensbeheerprogramma VS (US VISIT) onder de loep
In het kader van haar rapporteurschap inzake 'de volgende stappen in
het grensbeheer van de Europese Unie' (COM2008)69) zal
VVD-Europarlementariër Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert a.s. zondag met een
delegatie van het Europees Parlement naar Washington DC afreizen om
aldaar het zgn. US VISIT Program* te doorlopen.
Eerder dit jaar heeft de Europese Commissie drie nieuwe instrumenten
voorgesteld om tot een echt geïntegreerd beheer van de Europese
buitengrenzen te komen: (1) het vereenvoudigen van het
grensverkeer voor bonafide reizigers (registered traveller program),
(2) de invoering van een inreis-/uitreisregistratiesysteem voor
onderdanen van derde landen en (3) de invoering van een elektronisch
systeem voor reisvergunningen (ESTA). Doel hiervan is het vergroten
van de veiligheid en het hoofd bieden aan de oplopende migratiedruk.
Naar verwachting worden de wetgevende voorstellen eind volgend jaar
ingediend. Reden voor het 3-daags bezoek aan Washington DC (Department
of Homeland Security) is het feit dat de voorgestelde maatregelen
grote gelijkenissen tonen met de ontwikkelingen in de VS.
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert: "De implementatie van US VISIT verloopt
niet zonder slag of stoot. De kosten zijn enorm en er zijn grote
vraagtekens als het gaat om de effectiviteit. Het is dan ook van groot
belang dat wij niet in dezelfde valkuilen trappen."
* Extra informatie:
The US-VISIT's goals are to enhance the security of US citizens and
visitors, facilitate legitimate travel and trade, ensure the integrity
of the US immigration system, and protect the privacy of visitors. The
US VISIT programme is to achieve these goals by:
* Collecting, maintaining and sharing information on certain foreign
nationals who enter and exit the US;
* Identifying foreign nationals who (1) have overstayed or violated
the terms of their visit, (2) can receive, extend, or adjust their
immigration status or (3) should be apprehended or detained by
law enforcement officials;
* Detecting fraudulent travel documents, verifying visitor identity
and determining visitor admissibility through the use of
biometrics (digital fingerprints and a digital photograph);
* Facilitating information sharing and coordination within the
immigration and border management community.
Following formal statements by US authorities (such as 'other
countries are adopting the US-VISIT model to improve their border
management systems' , 'we are working with these countries to share
best practices and move towards a single approach that provides for
secure global travel', and 'as technological means of collecting and
using biometrics evolve, it can build upon established
capabilities') Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert requested the EC to comment
in detail on the ongoing 'talks' with the US authorities. Obviously,
she acknowledges that open societies and markets are highly dependent
on secure and reliable structures and is therefore not questioning the
need for an ongoing and uninterrupted dialogue with third countries,
but does believe that such dialogue should be transparent at all
times. In that respect Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert would also like to
underline the need for an enhancement of the level of political
discourse between European and US legislators. She considers
it furthermore of utmost importance to take into account the lessons
learned in the US. The relevant GAO reports are in that respect
particularly interesting. According to the United States Government
Accountability Office (GAO) 'over 4 years, the American Department of
Homeland Security has invested about $1.3 billion and delivered
basically one-half of US-VISIT. Over the same period, US-VISIT has
allowed to take action (including denial of entry) against a little
more than 1.500 people.' This suggests that the cost-effectiveness of
such a system is not guaranteed and that economic aspects would also
benefit from a careful consideration of experiences abroad.
VVD