New legislation in the US aimed at closing visa loopholes would use biometric equipment deployed in more US missions.Introduced by US Representative Will Hurd (R-TX), the Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act of 2016 aims to enhance visa screening procedures at U.S. embassy outposts overseas.The law would mandate the distribution of biometric screening technology to 30 embassy outposts around the world.This biometric data could then be used to perform criminal, national security and terrorism checks against databases maintained by the federal government.”As the threats against the United States continue to grow, we must respond by eliminating loopholes, strengthening screening measures, and deploying trained personnel,” Hurd said.”Since 2014, nearly 40,000 foreign fighters from more than 120 countries have traveled to Syria to join or aid ISIS. We are not just looking at people from ISIS strongholds anymore – we must adequately screen westerners as well. There have already been over two dozen ISIS-linked attack plots inside the U.S., and we cannot afford to let would-be terrorists slip through the cracks.”The bill has already been met by the support of House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX).”The Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act will significantly increase the security of the visa process by stationing specially trained law-enforcement officers at embassies and consulates around the world to prevent terrorists from ever boarding an airplane,” McCaul said.
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