America the Unwelcoming

This article is terribly misleading.

According to data from the U.S. Commerce Department, the number of international visitors to the U.S. in 2007 is set to surpass the near record of 51.1 million set in 2006, which was a 4% increase over the number of visitors in 2005. The U.S. travel and tourism industry has posted positive gains in the number of nonresident arrivals for the last 19, soon to be 20, consecutive quarters. The last time the number of arrivals was down was the third quarter of 2003, which was BEFORE the controversial U.S. Visit program went into effect on January 5, 2004.

Don???t take my, or Mr. Zakaria???s, word for it. Go see for yourself. Here is the link to the data for 2000-2006 (http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Historical_arrivals_2000_2006.xls), and here is the link for projections from 2007 and beyond (http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/f-2000-99-001/forecast/Forecast_World_Regions_to_web.pdf).

Of course, we can select certain countries, such as Japan, and state that the number of visitors has fallen from 5 million in 2000 to 3.6 in 2006. But, we could just as easily highlight a number of countries from which visitation has increased since 2000: China, India, Korea, Vietnam, Russia, Spain, Ireland, Australia.

Further, the U.S. share of international visitor arrivals has gradually fallen since 1992 (recording, during the Clinton presidency, the greatest declines EVER, and would thus not appear to be the result of any recent change in policy. Here is the link to that data: http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/outreachpages/inbound.world_us_intl_arrivals.html.

I guess this article is the garbage you get when a writer rushes to file a poorly researched story in anticipation of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

I was born in Ireland, and have been traveling to the US frequently on business and for pleasure for the past 35 years. I love the US, but I have no intention of ever moving there permanently (it's just that I like my own country more).

I have had an opportunity to see the gradual erosion of the American welcome to visitors, over a period of 35 years. All things considered (and I mean ALL things), the situation is bad. I feel sad to see what is happening to the country I love so much. It is almost like watching a good friend wither away.

I am not saying that the US authorities do not need to be vigilant and more cautious than in the past, but the changes that we are seeing today are overall doing little or no good to the US. With all the ingenuity and resourcefulness that exists in the US, don???t tell me that the current situation is unavoidable. There is more damage being done to the US by its policy of unwelcoming visitors than by a brigade or terrorists.

I truly hope that someone somewhere in a position of authority in the US is reading this.

To those who complain about US Immigration especially to Fareed Zakaria -
I am also an immigrant in the USA, my adopted homeland in the last 45 years. I traveled well since 911. I have nothing to hide and I have no objections when I travel to countries like: Turkey, Egypt, France, UK, Morocco, Tanzania, Germany, Jordan, etc just to list some countries when I get searched. Yes, most countries required me to have a visa to enter even as tourist. Some embassy's require 4 to 6 weeks to get the tourist visa with a large fee. When I visit the countries I am respectful to their laws. So I don't see why OTHERS are complaining about the US policies, laws. And to you Mr. Zakaria it's easy to criticize the US system, however you should put yourself into the shoes of those people who lost relatives, friends when 911 happened. Those "pilots" were welcome and well received in the USA but they certainly find an unusual way to show their respect to the USA. People like Vinnikova (certainly not a German name) and others overstaying their visa should be collected and put on the first plane to leave the USA. Perhaps they would learn to respect the USA. Actually, I would require every flight to reserve few seats for people like Valeria and others and save the court coasts for processing unlawful visitors. Heathrow, UK has no security check and I would never travel to UK again. I had an 8 hour delay there do to some bomb scare. The whole airport was disorganized. I was able to board the plane without any check! It's a crossroad to the whole world without security checks. I can not say the same about Turkey where I was search 3 times, same for Jordan where I was search 4 times. Egypt was not as bad, in Morocco I was searched twice. So, should I complain about other countries?! Why am I searched and checked? Just because I was not born in the USA I am checked. Should I complain because of profiling?! No, I do not. I am very happy to travel with my US Passport and does not keep a back up passport of my former country either. I have nothing to hide and to me safety is first! All of you who are complaining about the US policies and laws perhaps you should stay away so our taxes should not be spent on questionable people who may cause harm to the citizens of good old USA. God bless America!

To those who complain about US Immigration especially to Fareed Zakaria -
I am also an immigrant in the USA, my adopted homeland in the last 45 years. I traveled well since 911. I have nothing to hide and I have no objections when I travel to countries like: Turkey, Egypt, France, UK, Morocco, Tanzania, Germany, Jordan, etc just to list some countries when I get searched. Yes, most countries required me to have a visa to enter even as tourist. Some embassy's require 4 to 6 weeks to get the tourist visa with a large fee. When I visit the countries I am respectful to their laws. So I don't see why OTHERS are complaining about the US policies, laws. And to you Mr. Zakaria it's easy to criticize the US system, however you should put yourself into the shoes of those people who lost relatives, friends when 911 happened. Those "pilots" were welcome and well received in the USA but they certainly find an unusual way to show their respect to the USA. People like Vinnikova (certainly not a German name) and others overstaying their visa should be collected and put on the first plane to leave the USA. Perhaps they would learn to respect the USA. Actually, I would require every flight to reserve few seats for people like Valeria and others and save the court coasts for processing unlawful visitors. Heathrow, UK has no security check and I would never travel to UK again. I had an 8 hour delay there do to some bomb scare. The whole airport was disorganized. I was able to board the plane without any check! It's a crossroad to the whole world without security checks. I can not say the same about Turkey where I was search 3 times, same for Jordan where I was search 4 times. Egypt was not as bad, in Morocco I was searched twice. So, should I complain about other countries?! Why am I searched and checked? Just because I was not born in the USA I am checked. Should I complain because of profiling?! No, I do not. I am very happy to travel with my US Passport and does not keep a back up passport of my former country either. I have nothing to hide and to me safety is first! All of you who are complaining about the US policies and laws perhaps you should stay away so our taxes should not be spent on questionable people who may cause harm to the citizens of good old USA. God bless America!

It's even worse than this article indicates. Even those simply transiting a US airport on the way from one country to another are forced to go through US immigration and customs formalities -- something no other country I am familiar with requires. I spoke with a couple from the UK recently who were disgusted at how long it took them to transit Houston on the way from London to Belize and swore never again would they use a US carrier or fly through the US again, much less visit our shores. We are systematically angering people the world over.

It goes even further that this. I heard horror stories of people simply transiting the US to go to Belize from the UK forced to wait in long immigration lines in Houston and barely making their flight. I believe we are the only country in the world that forces those simply transiting our airports to go to another country, without ever actually setting foot in the US, to have a visa and go through immigration and customs formalities. The people I spoke with pledged to never again transit the US, much less visit our shores!!

Thanx Fareed for this important piece of journalism.
I am going to visit the USA for the 3rd time in 4 years. I'm Brazilian, 19yrs old, and I'm doing an exchange program available here for us to work and travel in your country in my vacations here in Brazil. Every time I go to the consulate to get a Visa, I have to take loads of documents with me, I am mistreated by the employees there, and I have to prova my parents have enough money to pay my trip, that I'm not gonna live illegally in th US (thats something that makes no sense for me, a law student here in brazil, etc...)

Thank you for this column and I hope you'll keep up this drumbeat by extending the discussion to include the entire range of idiotic US policies on immigration and travel. It is a testament to the power of the US as a positive force in the world that people are willing to subject themselves to the hurdles needed to come to the US, but this is a currency we are rapidly spending with unenlightened and now virtually meaningless (crying wolf in orange on a daily basis) "homeland security" policy. Not only is it time to dismantle this wasteful and inefficient agency, it is time to expand the debate not about America's image in the world but about America's leadership for the world, starting treating visitors and immigrants with dignity.

Thank you for this column and I hope you'll keep up this drumbeat by extending the discussion to include the entire range of idiotic US policies on immigration and travel. It is a testament to the power of the US as a positive force in the world that people are willing to subject themselves to the hurdles needed to come to the US, but this is a currency we are rapidly spending with unenlightened and now virtually meaningless (crying wolf in orange on a daily basis) "homeland security" policy. Not only is it time to dismantle this wasteful and inefficient agency, it is time to expand the debate not about America's image in the world but about America's leadership for the world, starting treating visitors and immigrants with dignity.

What an interesting debate about America, the "land of immigrants", "melting pot", "salad bowl"! Wonder what the Native American viewpoint is. It does not matter anymore, are you sure?? Oh okay, well, hmm. That's how most of these debates end up sooner or later, don't they. Help cosmos, help.

Would the Web administrator here please improve the comments section, as so many post their messages several times, because your site does not confirm the message has been submitted

To pakistanis complaining that they are not being treated fairly or are unwelcome they have themselves to blame. The facts speak for itself. Any major terrorist attack in the west (the foiled ones)have been linked to pakistan, and frankly i dont think the americans are very much worried that no. of pakistanis entering US is decreasing, infact they would be happy. I know,I know NOT everyone is a terrorist, but just how do you distinguish between a sane guy and a brainwashed terrorist? (Case in point being London attacks,where they were modern british born moslems)

To pakistanis complaining that they are not being treated fairly or are unwelcome they have themselves to blame. The facts speak for itself. Any major terrorist attack in the west (the foiled ones)have been linked to pakistan, and frankly i dont think the americans are very much worried that no. of pakistanis entering US is decreasing, infact they would be happy. I know,I know NOT everyone is a terrorist, but just how do you distinguish between a sane guy and a brainwashed terrorist? (Case in point being London attacks,where they were modern british born moslems)

To pakistanis complaining that they are not being treated fairly or are unwelcome they have themselves to blame. The facts speak for itself. Any major terrorist attack in the west (the foiled ones)have been linked to pakistan, and frankly i dont think the americans are very much worried that no. of pakistanis entering US is decreasing, infact they would be happy. I know,I know NOT everyone is a terrorist, but just how do you distinguish between a sane guy and a brainwashed terrorist? (Case in point being London attacks,where they were modern british born moslems)

I could not agree more with Fareed Zakaria. As an Educational Advisor trying to get students to go to the US from Pakistan is an almost impossible task. The numbers from Pakistan are falling each year at an alarming rate. Even if a student manages to go to the US to study the parents are wary at all times especially if it is a son. An ordinary brawl will land a muslim boy in jail and the parents will never get a visa to go and help their child. In my work experience we even have to convince parents as they do not want to send their kids to a country that is tense and hostile.

Mr. Zakaria should check his facts first.

The German visitor did not overstay her visa "by a couple of days", but for at least a year. If a person has a visitor's visa, or is here on a visa waiver, and then overstays by 180 days and leaves voluntarily, there is a three-year ban on coming back to the US. If one overstays a whole year, and then leaves voluntarily, there is a ten-year bar. If a person has a three-year ban and attempts to enter within three years, the ban will become a ten-year one.

According to Mr. Zakaria the German lady tried to "remedy the situation", so that she could spend even more time with her fiance. In her case the remedy would have been quite simple: marry her squash coach and apply for adjustment of status. There is no visa for German fiancees who would like to spend a couple of years in the US. You can only stay here if you marry, and every Visa for Dummies book will tell you that.

I am Canadian, I visited the US numerous times before 9/11 when a simple ID was sufficient to enter. These days, and furthermore in 2008 when passports will be needed to enter the US, or if Canada accepts the US request to give it the list of passengers flying OVER the US from Canada, even if the flight never lands in the US, Canadians we have alternatives to sunny Florida or golf in Myrtle Beach. Being treated as a potential criminal is not a welcome sought after for the average vacationer. I suspect that a terrorist can find a hole in the 4000-mile border should one want to come in the US through Canada. Furthermore, Canada has a decent security system and already cooperates with the US to track terrorists, making it a very low danger risk. If the US administration wants to keep its people in constant paranoia of external problems to avoid them from looking at the internal ones, so be it. As for myself and scores of other Canadians, the US are safe from me, I will enjoy a Caribbean or Costa Rican beach this winter.

As far as border security goes, we don't have enough. We need to pull our military out of Iraq so that we can station it along our north and south borders. Furthermore, every citizen should be deputized by Homeland Security, so that whenever we see a foreigner, we have the right and the tactical firepower to detain them.