U.S to crackdown on Nigerians, Brazilians, others with overstayed visas

A crackdown on visitors with visa overstays is imminent in the
United States of America with Nigeria, Brazil, Venezuela, China and
Colombia listed as countries with the most total overstays that do
not participate in the visa waiver programme.

The Trump Administration says it has a problem with visa
overstays in the country and is now determined to step up
enforcement to try to cut down on the violations.

Consequently, the government is introducing a face scan for all
US citizens travelling abroad.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said this is aimed
mainly at better tracking visa overstays and also at tightening
security.

The agency said it’s the only way to successfully expand a
programme that tracks non immigrant foreigners.

A report in May showed that more than 54 million visitors
checked in last year – and nearly 630,000 of them didn’t go back
home.

John Wagner, the Customs deputy executive assistant commissioner
in charge of the programme, confirmed in an interview that U.S.
citizens departing on international flights will submit to face
scans.

The number of visa overstays was about 200,000 higher than the
previous 12-month period.

Libya, a country of special interest because of terrorism
concerns, saw 43 percent of its students refuse to leave on time,
while a staggering 75 percent of students from Eritrea broke the
terms of their deal, the report said.

Jessica Vaughan, policy studies director at the Centre for
Immigration Studies, said those kinds of rates should force a
rethink at the State Department, which issues visas, and should
spur immigration officials to put more effort into deterring and
deporting overstays in the U.S.

“The fact that more than 700,000 visits were overstayed last
year shows just how much we need to step up interior enforcement to
create more of a deterrent, not only by identifying and deporting
overstays, but by weakening the job magnet by cracking down on
employers who hire illegal workers,” she said.

A crackdown on visitors with visa overstays is imminent in the
United States of America with Nigeria, Brazil, Venezuela, China and
Colombia listed as countries with the most total overstays that do
not participate in the visa waiver programme.

The Trump Administration says it has a problem with visa
overstays in the country and is now determined to step up
enforcement to try to cut down on the violations.

Consequently, the government is introducing a face scan for all
US citizens travelling abroad.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said this is aimed
mainly at better tracking visa overstays and also at tightening
security.

The agency said it’s the only way to successfully expand a
programme that tracks non immigrant foreigners.

A report in May showed that more than 54 million visitors
checked in last year – and nearly 630,000 of them didn’t go back
home.

John Wagner, the Customs deputy executive assistant commissioner
in charge of the programme, confirmed in an interview that U.S.
citizens departing on international flights will submit to face
scans.

The number of visa overstays was about 200,000 higher than the
previous 12-month period.

Libya, a country of special interest because of terrorism
concerns, saw 43 percent of its students refuse to leave on time,
while a staggering 75 percent of students from Eritrea broke the
terms of their deal, the report said.

Jessica Vaughan, policy studies director at the Centre for
Immigration Studies, said those kinds of rates should force a
rethink at the State Department, which issues visas, and should
spur immigration officials to put more effort into deterring and
deporting overstays in the U.S.

“The fact that more than 700,000 visits were overstayed last
year shows just how much we need to step up interior enforcement to
create more of a deterrent, not only by identifying and deporting
overstays, but by weakening the job magnet by cracking down on
employers who hire illegal workers,” she said.