Tougher US rules for European travellers

Chertoff told a recent BBC interviewer that terrorism worldwide was causing US immigration to rethink it's open welcome policy to certain European nationals. These remarks come in the wake of recent website postings about the possibility of forming an official al-Qaida cell in the UK.

"We have watched the rise of home-grown terrorism. We are obviously mindful of the Madrid bombings and the attempted bombings in Germany, and that suggests to us that the terrorists are increasingly looking to Europe as both a target and a platform for terrorist attacks", Chertoff told the BBC.

He has expressed unease with the lax border controls in Europe and the fact that many Europeans can enter the US without visas, meaning the US immigration officials have no opportunity to check their backgrounds.

"What we are trying to do is find a way to better vet people coming in from Europe without impeding the flow of travel or trade which has been a very important part of our economy," he said.

However, his previous suggestion that the US may rescind visa freedoms to UK nationals of Pakistani origin was rebuffed by the Home Office.


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Jennifer Jones Editorial


18/01/2008



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