US: New immigration controls on nationals of five countries

"In light of recent events, and based on intelligence information available to the Attorney General, the Attorney General has determined" that nonimmigrant visitors from the five newly designated countries "must appear before the (INS) and provide certain information," says an announcement in the Federal Register.

Male citizens already in the US from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan and Kuwait are directed to report to the INS between February 24 and March 28, 2003 so they can be recorded, photographed and fingerprinted

Certain citizens from 25 nations are now subject to the requirements of the National Entry-Exit Registration Program (NSEERS)

Those five nations make up the fourth group of aliens designated by the Attorney General to comply with the tightened visitor registration requirements. Male visitors over 16 from Iran, Iraq Libya, Sudan and Syria -- all nations cited as state sponsors of terrorism by the U.S. State Department -- were directed to report to INS offices by December 18. Males from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Lebanon, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen were supposed to meet a January 10 deadline. Nonimmigrant male visitors from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are required to report to the INS by February 21, 2003

The NSEERS program has generated significant confusion and opposition in U.S. immigrant communities. Opponents point out that citizens from Arab and predominantly Muslim countries are being subject to the requirements, and allege that such a program is racially, ethnically or politically motivated. A coalition of community and immigrant advocate organizations filed a lawsuit against Attorney General John Ashcroft and the INS in December to block NSEERS.

Press reports from around the country also indicate that confusion about the requirements of the program may have hampered full compliance. The Department of Justice and the INS published a second notice in the Federal Register January 16 which reopens the registration to accommodate nonimmigrant aliens from the 18 nations who may have missed the deadlines.

Some individuals may have "remained unaware of the requirements of the notices," the announcement said.

"As an act of grace, and as an act that is entirely within the Attorney General's discretion, the Attorney General has decided to permit those individuals who were required to register under the Groups I and II notices but who did not do so, an additional opportunity to register and provide information," say government officials.

Registration for these nonimmigrant visitors will be reopened from January 27 to February 7. Those who report to their INS offices during this grace period for registration will be considered to have acted "in a timely fashion," according to the announcement.

NSEERS dates back to the mid-1990s when Congress directed the INS to develop by 2005 a better system for keeping track of visitors entering the country. That directive arose from the recognition that officials were not able to determine where visitors were going, where they were staying and how long they were staying in the country. The urgency for such a system accelerated after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks when it was discovered that some of the attackers entered the country on valid visas, but subsequently breached the terms of their visas.

Announcing NSEERS in June 2002, Attorney General Ashcroft said it is necessary because of "vulnerabilities of our immigration system [that] became starkly clear on September 11."

Visitors from these 25 countries are not the only ones who have been subject to the scrutiny called for under NSEERS. Visitors from other countries have been required to provide like information as immigration authorities apply "discretionary criteria" to individuals entering the country at all international ports of entry.

INS and Justice Department officials emphasize that the policy is meant to create a balance between protecting the security of the United States and maintaining a longstanding policy of openness to international visitors.

"It is important to emphasize that the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System is not a bar to entry into the United States, nor does it limit an individual's ability to engage in any lawful activity as permitted under their entry visa," says to explanatory material on the INS Web site. (Charlene Porter contributed to this story)