Anyone visiting the U.S join the criminal line please

[yo-ho-yo-ho]

Millions of Britons who visit the United States are to have their fingerprints stored on the FBI database alongside those of criminals, in a move that has outraged civil rights groups.

The Observer has established that under new plans to combat terrorism, the US government will demand that visitors have all 10 fingers scanned when they enter the country. The information will be shared with intelligence agencies, including the FBI, with no restrictions on their international use.

Last night the British civil rights group Liberty expressed astonishment at the plan, which will affect four million British travellers to the US. 'This must be the Keystone Cops school of border control,' said Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty. 'Accumulating the fingerprints of millions of innocent passengers will not deter would-be suicide bombers.'

Security experts warned the scale of the scheme might jeopardise its success. 'This maniacal proposal will turn thousands of law-abiding British travellers into terrorist suspects,' said Simon Davies, head of Privacy International, a campaign against intrusive surveillance.

'The technology at US airports will be far less reliable. That means anyone could be the victim of a false match, Davies said. 'Be warned. A San Francisco Bay family holiday may easily become a nightmare.'

He predicted that airport queues would treble as a result of the scheme. 'Taking fingerprints is a delicate and complex undertaking that can't be rushed to keep queues short,' he said.

A recent report by the civil liberties group Statewatch highlighted a Japanese study that tested 15 biometric systems and found 11 of them failed to detect 'false' fingerprints were being used in the form of a latex strip covering a person's fingers.


You wonder why we bother

 

[UKDEB]

A storm in a tea-cup, I suspect.

 

[Boss Hogg]

Just heard this on Sky News. Somewhat typical of governments generally I think, basically comes down to lip service if you ask me. As your post suggests, the chance of it actually stopping suicide bombers must be something like nil!

That having been said, I've nothing to hide, so if they want my fingerprints they can have 'em. Personally, cannot see what the human rights fuss is all about. If you've done nothing wrong what does it matter. A little like the Derbyshire police chief not releasing pictures of escaped murderers as he thinks it impedes their human rights! Just insane, there's far too much made on the issue of human rightsm nowadays I think.

 

[jtlover]

What happens if you havent got 10 fingers and thumbs to print - are you going to be in trouble

 

[AlanUK]

They can do what they like, it's their country they are trying to protect after all

My ony wish would be that they perhaps try to set up a system whereby they can take your fingerprints before you board the plane at this end when you are generally waiting around anyway. The data could then be sent securely over the internet and already be on the systems when you arrive so only a quick match is required and the immigration queues can be kept as short as possible

 

[Dimplenose]

I've nothing to hide either but I am still a little worried that the technology involved will not be 100% reliable.

Libby

 

[yo-ho-yo-ho]

Alan do you really think its going to make them any safer ?? they already take 2 prints as it is.

Only a couple of weeks ago the border guard station in Arizona was overun by Mexican drugs traffickers and the UK news showed hundreds of immigrants crossing the U.S border at night undetected


I'll give you a clue where the nexted terrorist attack on the U.S is coming from ?


All this is going to do is put people of travelling to the U.S

He predicted that airport queues would treble as a result of the scheme. 'Taking fingerprints is a delicate and complex undertaking that can't be rushed to keep queues short

 

[natalielongstaff]

i dont mind being fingerprinted,i too have nothing to hide

 

[mushumadness]

they can fingerprint me, blood test me whatever, as long as it helps keep me safe

 

[AlanUK]

Alan do you really think its going to make them any safer ?? they already take 2 prints as it is.

To be honest, no I don't think it will stop the next terrorist attack, but I do think that it makes it more difficult for people to travel undetected or using false identities.

Ultimately it is the American authorities decision as to what policies they implement to try and protect their country and their people. Whatever we think of the policies as outsiders, we are just that, outsiders. We visit their country as guests and they allow us that access under certain conditions whch they are perfectly at liberty to change as they see fit.

As visitors we have no democratic right to say how they run their country, the only way that can be changed is by the American people. If an immigration policy is implemented that would be viewed as a barrier to tourists by the Amercian electorate or by businesses then the government will be lobbied by those people or organisations to change it. If it is still implemented and the economy starts to dive as a result, then either the government will tone it down or they will no doubt be removed from office at the next election.

At the end of the day whatever we think, it's going to have very little impact on the final decision.

 

[jen_uk]

Yo ho do you ever post good news??!! Just kidding!!

 

[yo-ho-yo-ho]

Yes

Remember i don't make the news

 

[BingsingsWaltDisney]

I work in the security buisness. a lot of what you say is correct. no matter how good security is if someone wants to bypass it they will. what we have here is a country that is trying to deter terrorism.

last august we waited in line at customs at MCO to have our prints taken. when I asked the customs girl what the score was she was really helpful telling me that in the future when passing through customs i put my finger in the reader and in theory my passport and picture on their computer should match up.nothing in this life is guarenteed, but while we waited in line 2 asain families where taken into another room for further investigation. I can't say for certain what they had done or not done but they where the only asians on the flight. if it cuts this kind of discrimination out its not a bad thing.

all in all if you have nothing to hide you should not worry.

to finish with when we came back to the U.K. we all waltzed through customs without a by your leave. tell me whos got it wrong???

 

[Haworthfamily]

we don't mind them finger printing us, but I do find the questions a little intimidating, esecially like what is your occupation etc and I find them a little scary it almost makes me nervous even though I have done nothing LOL.

When we were at MCO in Mar 06, as we were queing to get through immigration a child opening a 'pus bar' security door and an alarm sounded and no one seemed to care that sercuity and be breached and it just kept going off and no one came to check anything!
Sarah X

 

[Hilary]

Ultimately it is the American authorities decision as to what policies they implement to try and protect their country and their people. Whatever we think of the policies as outsiders, we are just that, outsiders. We visit their country as guests and they allow us that access under certain conditions whch they are perfectly at liberty to change as they see fit.

At the end of the day whatever we think, it's going to have very little impact on the final decision.

I couldn't agree more, Alan.

For those of us who choose to visit the US as holiday-makers, surely it's a straightforward case of 'put up or shut up'. There are other places to visit in the world that aren't suggesting such measures Personally, I'm happy to jump through hoops to continue visiting

However, for those who have to visit the US on business, I can see that the new proposals would be an extra barrier.

 

[Lisash]

I've often wondered if they keep this information on file anyway. Every time we go it seems to take less time for us to get through and I'm beginning to think it's because they already have enough info on us. On our ever first visit we were subjected to a load of questions about how long & where we were staying, how much money we had, did we have credit cards etc and the officer 'chatted' to the children again asking lots of questions about their names ages (almost as if he was trying to catch us out). This has got less and less with subsequent trips and on our last visit we were through in less than 2 minutes no questions just a quick joke from the officer about our surname I'm happy enough to do it if it gets me where I want to be

 

[mushumadness]

chris gets hauled off every year without fail into a little room for about an hour lol, as he has a common name and someone with that name has been deported, we live with it even though it stresses me out

 

[spincandy]

As far as immigration checks go, they can do whatever they want with me as long as I get in!

At the end of the day I have nothing to hide and if the procedures are genuinely making the country (and my family) safer then it's fine by me. (I just wish the immigrations staff in general made the whole experience a bit nicer... although they are getting better..)

But I always go through immigration with exactly the same feeling as I get walking through alarm barriers in shops- like I've done something wrong even though I haven't! So I end up looking guilty as sin anyway!

 

[Soprano]

Their country, their rules. When in Rome and all that....

 

[Pooh Bear Hugs]

I have nothing to hide but find it all stressful. Add to that I watch too many conspiracy films and am convinced I'll be arrested by mistake. Oh well it's the only way to get to Disney. As for feeling safer, no it doesn't make me feel safer, it would be great if it did.