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CNN Live Saturday
U.S. Suspends No Visa Rule For Transit Passengers
Aired August 02, 2003 - 16:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Plugging a gap in homeland security. They'll need more than a ticket to ride. The international air travelers who transit through the U.S., now many of them will need visas. The new rule took effect today, and not everyone is happy with it. CNN's Jeanne Meserve has more -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredericka, recent intelligence indicated that terrorists might try to exploit two U.S. programs which allowed transit passengers to stay on the ground in the U.S. without a visa. Saturday those programs were suspended. Transit travelers now will have to get a visa or change their itineraries unless they're from one of the 27 so-called visa waiver countries whose citizens do not need visas to come here. U.S. citizens not affected either.
What is a transit passenger? Well, someone flying from Bazil, let's say, who stops in New York to change planes for a flight to London, that's a description that fits about a half a million people a year. Although the programs are suspended immediately, passengers traveling right now will be able to transit and depart the U.S. with some additional inspections and security evaluations.
There are some other very specific exceptions to accommodate passengers traveling now or in the very near future, the specifics can be found on the Web site, www.travel.state.gov. About 6,000 travelers are expected to be impacted over the next 60 days. Many of them from Brazil. Mexico, Korea and the Philippines.
The U.S. airlines that are going to feel this, American, Delta, United and Northwest. They're going to have to reroute customers. No word on how much that is going to cost them. To ease the situation, the State Department will try to expedite the processing of visas and additional customs and border patrol personnel will be deployed to the nations airports.
How long will all this last? Well, indefinitely, but the Departments of State and Homeland Security will be reviewing the programs with the airlines to see if they can't be reinstated with some additional security measures and, of course they'll be considering the most current intelligence -- Fredericka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jeanne Meserve in Washington, thanks very much. On these new restrictions taking place immediately. For more on the new security measures, catch "LATE EDITION" with Wolf Blitzer tomorrow at noon eastern. Among the guests, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 2, 2003 - 16:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Plugging a gap in homeland security. They'll need more than a ticket to ride. The international air travelers who transit through the U.S., now many of them will need visas. The new rule took effect today, and not everyone is happy with it. CNN's Jeanne Meserve has more -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredericka, recent intelligence indicated that terrorists might try to exploit two U.S. programs which allowed transit passengers to stay on the ground in the U.S. without a visa. Saturday those programs were suspended. Transit travelers now will have to get a visa or change their itineraries unless they're from one of the 27 so-called visa waiver countries whose citizens do not need visas to come here. U.S. citizens not affected either.
What is a transit passenger? Well, someone flying from Bazil, let's say, who stops in New York to change planes for a flight to London, that's a description that fits about a half a million people a year. Although the programs are suspended immediately, passengers traveling right now will be able to transit and depart the U.S. with some additional inspections and security evaluations.
There are some other very specific exceptions to accommodate passengers traveling now or in the very near future, the specifics can be found on the Web site, www.travel.state.gov. About 6,000 travelers are expected to be impacted over the next 60 days. Many of them from Brazil. Mexico, Korea and the Philippines.
The U.S. airlines that are going to feel this, American, Delta, United and Northwest. They're going to have to reroute customers. No word on how much that is going to cost them. To ease the situation, the State Department will try to expedite the processing of visas and additional customs and border patrol personnel will be deployed to the nations airports.
How long will all this last? Well, indefinitely, but the Departments of State and Homeland Security will be reviewing the programs with the airlines to see if they can't be reinstated with some additional security measures and, of course they'll be considering the most current intelligence -- Fredericka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jeanne Meserve in Washington, thanks very much. On these new restrictions taking place immediately. For more on the new security measures, catch "LATE EDITION" with Wolf Blitzer tomorrow at noon eastern. Among the guests, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
