US moves to tighten border controls
A range of new US border security measures will be attached to “must-pass” legislation next year as part of a deal to win congressional support for an overhaul of intelligence.
The commitment, by Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, sets the stage for a new round of battles over how much further the US should go in tightening its borders to prevent potential terrorists slipping into the country.
Since the attacks on September 11 2001, the US has tightened border controls in an effort to track the millions of visitors and would-be immigrants who arrive each year. The effort has drawn complaints from US companies, which say they are losing overseas customers and talented employees because of the increasingly onerous visa requirements. US universities have also experienced a drop in enrolments by overseas students.
The intelligence reform bill, which was expected to pass through the Senate yesterday after its approval in the House late on Tuesday, contains a number of border-related measures.
It will require consular officers to conduct face-to-face interviews with anyone seeking a visa to the US, legally enforcing the interview requirement adopted after September 11. The number of border patrol agents will rise by 2,000 by 2010 and 800 investigators will be employed to track down illegal immigrants or visitors who have overstayed their visas.
But under pressure from the Senate, the final bill lost provisions that would have barred illegal aliens from receiving a driver's licence and would have made it easier for the US to deport anyone believed to be applying for asylum under false pretences. The bill contains weaker provisions to improve the integrity of licences, which are the most commonly used identification for boarding an aircraft or opening a bank account.
James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House judiciary committee, said he had pledges from Dennis Hastert, the House speaker, and Tom Delay, the Republican leader, that the provisions would be “attached to the first must-pass legislation so that we can get them into law as quickly as possible and make Americans safer from a terrorist attack”.
In the House debate, many Republicans said that without new border measures, the re-organisation of intelligence would do little to protect the US from terrorists. “We can have all the intelligence in the world, but if we can't protect our own border or prevent terrorists coming into the country, we're just stupid,” said Cliff Stearns, a Florida Republican.
Despite the push from House Republicans, the effort is likely to face continued opposition in the more divided Senate, where Democrats have the power to block legislation.
美国加强出入境管制
在美国国会明年“必须通过”的立法项目中，将附带一系列新的出入境安全措施。这是政治交易的一部分，目的是换取国会对彻底改革情报工作的支持。
众议院共和党领袖们所做的上述承诺，势必引发新一轮争论。争论的焦点是，为防止恐怖分子潜入，美国在加强出入境管制方面应该走多远。
2001年9月11日恐怖袭击发生后，美国已加强了出入境管制，以追踪每年到达美国的数百万游客和想要移民的人。这些措施引来了美国企业的抱怨，它们表示，由于日益繁琐的签证要求，它们正在失去海外客户和有才能的外国雇员。美国大学的海外学生入学人数也已下降。
情报改革法案在周二晚些时候得到众院批准后，昨天预期将在参院获得通过。该法案包含多项与出入境相关的措施。
该法案将规定，对于任何申请美国签证的人，领事官员应与之进行面谈，从法律上规定“9?11”后实行的签证面试要求。到2010年，边境巡逻队员的数量将增加2000名，并将雇佣800名调查员追查非法移民或滞留超出签证期限的游客。
但在参院的压力下，最终法案失去了某些条款。这些条款包括：禁止非法外国人获得驾驶执照，以及使美国能更容易驱逐被认为以虚假借口申请庇护的人。法案的最终版本在完善驾照制度方面纳入了一些比较宽松的条款。驾照是美国人登机或开立银行户头时使用最普遍的身份证明。
