The United States is threatening to end visa-free travel for Europeans to the US unless the EU provides access to biometric police databases.
Foreign AffairsNorth America
- Omissions
- The threat specifically relates to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) which allows visa-free travel to the US for citizens of participating EU countries. The US is demanding access not only to police databases but also to immigration databases. The threat has been characterized by critics as 'blackmail' (Politico). The negotiations involve a new EU-US framework that would authorize identity queries across databases, not necessarily 'free' or unlimited access as implied.
- Sources
- SecondaryStatewatchUS law enforcement authorities want direct access to EU member state police and immigration databases to identify people considered 'a threat to national security'. EU ministers approved negotiating mandate for agreement with US on biometric data access.
- SecondaryPoliticoThe US has made threats that 'if you don't agree with this we will cancel your access to the visa waiver program, that is an element of blackmail that we cannot accept,' according to an EU official. The EU is negotiating a new agreement that would allow US border officials to search European databases.
- SecondaryBiometric UpdateEU weighs biometric data access deal with US as price of visa-free travel. New EU-US framework would authorize identity queries across databases to check if travelers are security threats.