The Homeland Security Department is adding new screening requirements for Europeans and other travelers from countries for which a visa isn’t required for U.S. entry.
The screenings, planned to go into effect Monday, will require millions of travelers from around the world to provide more passport data, contact information and aliases before they can travel to the United States.
Travelers from 38 Visa Waiver Program countries, including most of Europe and Australia, will have to provide additional information like if they have passports from multiple countries, or if they have used aliases.
The move comes amid growing concern of threats from Western fighters returning from Syria.
U.S. officials said there is concern about the number of people who have fought for Syria that hold western passports, and can therefore travel relatively freely across borders, according to the Washington Post.
Monday’s decision is the second time in a week that Johnson has announced security changes.
Last Tuesday, he announced extra security at various federal government buildings in Washington and other major American cities in the wake of a fatal shooting in Canada’s capital city.
Additional reporting by Mashable
SOURCE: AP
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