Washington - U.S. Customs and Border Protection will begin partnering with the French Immigration Ministry today as part of the Immigration Advisory Program to enhance the safety of air travel by preventing potential terrorists from boarding commercial aircraft destined for the U.S. and reduce the number of improperly documented passengers traveling from or through a country to the U.S.
The Immigration Advisory Program enhances border security as part of a layered security strategy by preventing high-risk passengers from boarding commercial aircraft destined for the U.S., disrupting alien smuggling and human trafficking air routes, combating the proliferation of fraudulent travel documents, and prevents improperly documented passengers from traveling to the U.S. Passengers arriving from IAP locations still undergo full CBP processing upon arrival.
IAP officers posted in foreign airports focus on high-risk persons to make "no board" recommendations to carriers and host governments regarding these passengers bound for the U.S. There are two significant advantages to this approach. First, terrorists, criminals or inadmissible aliens are not allowed to board, thereby preventing their entry into the U.S. and second, the U.S. government avoids the costs associated with removal proceedings and the airline avoids penalties and the costs of transporting the individual back to the originating airport.
IAP is in line with long-standing "Immigration Liaison Officer" programs that various countries utilize to help reduce the number of improperly documented passengers traveling from or through that country, and enhance partnerships and overall information sharing.