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Home Front: WoT
US entry visa plan for British Pakistanis denied
2007-05-03
British and US officials today denied a report that the US was seeking ways of imposing entry restrictions for visiting Britons of Pakistani origin, following a spate of UK bomb plots involving citizens with links to Pakistan.

The report in the New York Times, ...
... natch ...
... quoted unnamed British officials as saying that the US had put several options on the table, including a cancellation of the existing visa waiver programme, which allows British tourists to visit without a visa, or a requirement that British Pakistanis would have to apply for visas.
Wille Sutton robbed banks 'cause that's where the money was. It's unfortunate but we have to face facts: there are a fair number of Brit Pakistanis who mean us harm. The proportion of Mahmouds and Achmeds who want all the Americans dead is higher than the proportion of Trevors and Nigels.
The US homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, had raised the issue with the British government in recent months, the article said.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The New York Times story that the UK and US are considering requiring British citizens of Pakistani origin to apply for US visas is incorrect. It does not represent UK government policy nor would it be an acceptable proposal."
Translation: we wanted it, they backed off.
"The Muslim community in the UK, including those of Pakistani origin, are an important part of our society and we would oppose strongly any proposal to single them out in response to the actions of terrorists," the spokesman said. "Furthermore we will oppose any measure based on broad categories of religious, ethnic or other criteria, and will continue to emphasise the importance of the current risk-based approach."
Ordinarily we'd agree, and such a screening would be unconstitutional if imposed on our own citizens.

But these aren't our citizens.
That approach involves assessing the potential risk posed by individuals. A British official added that the issue of British Pakistanis as a group had not been raised by the US government.

Russ Kanocke, a US homeland security department spokesman, confirmed that Mr Chertoff had met the home secretary, John Reid, last month, but would not reveal details of their conversastion. He denied, however, that the US is either planning to cancel the whole waiver system for the UK or single out Britons of Pakistani origin by requiring them to make visa applications. In fact he said, the US is seeking to extend the waiver programme to other European countries. "I flatly reject the notion we are targeting specific nationalities, age, gender. We just do not do that. We use intelligence but we do not profile by any factor other than behaviour. It is effective," Mr Kanocke said.

By behaviour, Mr Kanocke meant observation at airports, looking for signs of nervousness in passengers - sweating, avoiding eye contact, trying to conceal something, making frequent trips to the toilet and so on. Mr Kanocke said that both US and British governments were concerned about radicalisation and added that the homeland security department, in partnership with other agencies, was examining the British phenomenon.
Posted by:Steve White

#9  If, as a US born citizen I have to get a passport to travel to / from Canada I sure as hell do not understand this preferential treatment for a bunch of foreigners. this is Dogsh!t.
Posted by: USN. Ret.   2007-05-03 14:33  

#8  Wrong! at 2 dollars to the pound brits are now buying homes in Florida rather than Spain

American tourist spending in Britain constitutes some 20% of visitor revenues. I sincerely doubt that Britons in America match anywhere near that total.
Posted by: Zenster   2007-05-03 14:31  

#7  I think they should require all Brits to get a visa, as Americans wouldn't want to discriminate. Extremists are just as likely to be black Muslims, as Britain's past slave trade and colonialism extended from Asia to the Caribbean.
Posted by: Danielle   2007-05-03 09:59  

#6  They might be an important part of British society as say...boat anchors or as mine field detectors.
Posted by: JohnQC   2007-05-03 09:38  

#5  The Muslim community in the UK, including those of Pakistani origin, are an important part of our society

No they are not. This is a lie and the Foreign Office spokesman uttering the lie is a traitor.
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-05-03 08:57  

#4  "British tourism is nowhere near the same volume as American tourism to Britain."
Wrong! at 2 dollars to the pound brits are now buying homes in Florida rather than Spain
Posted by: Angaitch Cruling1154   2007-05-03 07:30  

#3  We in the UK have to realise that our connections with Pakistan and the large ex-pat Pak community in the UK are a major Achilles' heel in the WOT. Visas are fine by me.
Posted by: Howard UK   2007-05-03 05:41  

#2  To be honest the British pakis would just get someone else to carry out their deeds!!!!
Posted by: Paul   2007-05-03 05:09  

#1  Fine, no more travel from Britain without a visa. End of story. British tourism is nowhere near the same volume as American tourism to Britain.
Posted by: Zenster   2007-05-03 00:38  

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