Rep. Miller to Introduce Legislation to Address Major Security Vulnerability in International Travel

Statement

Today, U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, after conducting a hearing on international passport screening procedures, announced her intention to introduce legislation to address a major vulnerability that puts international travelers at risk:

"American citizens traveling to and from the U.S., as well as within, can take a great deal of confidence in their safety. Since 9/11, the U.S. has vastly improved its procedures by screening against terror and watch lists, immigration databases and records of lost or stolen passports. However, citizens who are boarding flights emanating from one foreign country to another need to realize that the same level of security is not there.

"I was shocked to learn that only three countries in the world, including the United States, check flight manifests against international records of stolen and lost passports, and as a result, over a billion travelers are boarding international flights each year without having their passports screened.

"Over the coming weeks, I plan to introduce legislation that will incentivize our allied nations to improve their screening procedures by utilizing the INTERPOL database and routinely reporting lost and stolen travel documents. Hopefully, with more international cooperation, we can address this vulnerability."

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