Countries to Provide More Traveler Details or Face Sanctions

Countries to provide more traveler details or face sanctionsAll nations will be required to give extensive data to the US State Department to assist in vetting US visa applicants. This is according to a cable obtained by Reuters. Nations that do not follow the newly-established protocols, or at least take steps to begin doing so within 50 days, could face travel sanctions.

The cable, sent to every US diplomatic post on Wednesday, summarizes the global review of vetting procedures required by the 6 March executive order issued by President Donald Trump. The order temporarily banned travel to the US by the majority of those living in six countries. A series of standards required by the US were laid out in the memo, including the issuing of electronic passports and the regular reporting of lost or stolen passports to INTERPOL.

The memo also directs countries to offer any other information related to identification that Washington requests on applicants for US visas, such as biographical or biometric details. The cable also sets out the requirements for nations about data on individuals believed to be threats to national security, as well as information relating to criminal records. Countries will also be expected to take back citizens deported from the US.

A former senior official at the Department of Homeland Security, John Sandweg, says that privacy protections are a concern for several US allies if the information requested exceeds that already shared, including includes details of possibly suspect travelers and examples of passports.