Belgium Airline

in possession of a completed Form I-94W obtainable from airline and shipping companies. ... [Read More]

Department of State Washington File: U.S. Aviation Security Needs Strengthening

In Belgium, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, he said, airport authorities or governments are responsible for screening; the airlines have that responsibility at U.S. airports. He said foreign screeners are generally better trained and paid than those in the United States. During a test program, screeners from one of these countries detected more than twice as many objects as U.S. screeners, he testified. ...

In the long run, he said, the government should consider training volunteering pilots as federal law enforcement officers and allowing them to carry weapons in the cockpit. Woerth said that airlines should equip their aircraft with air quality monitors warning pilots about the presence of chemical or biological agents inside the plane and cockpits -- with full-vision oxygen masks enabling crew to land safely during a chemical or biological attack. ... [Read More]

Deadlines for Visa Waiver Travelers Fast Approaching- U.S. Department Of State

Progress on the e-passport is advancing and live tests have begun with the governments of Australia and New Zealand, Dezenski said June 15.  Airline crews from these countries have volunteered to use the e-passport when arriving in Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia, she said. “This participation will enable DHS to further test operations, equipment and software needed to read and verify the information in the e-passport.” ... [Read More]

June 26 Deadline for Machine-Readable Passports (MRP)

Machine-Readable Passports: Implications for Airline Industry ... [Read More]

United States Mandates Digital Photo on Visa Waiver Passport - US Department of State

In another step toward the implementation of the e-passport, DHS and the Department of State are conducting a “live test” with the governments of Australia and New Zealand.  The “live test” begins today at Los Angeles International Airport and at the Sydney Airport in Australia, and will continue throughout the summer.  Airline crew and officials from United Airlines, Air New Zealand and Qantas Airlines have volunteered to use the e-passport when arriving at either airport.  Their participation will enable DHS to further test operations, equipment and software needed to read and verify the information contained in an e-passport. ... [Read More]

U.S. Department of State - Washington Hyper File

(New regimes for airline liability, cargo documentation sought, U.S. official says) (2470) ... [Read More]

Europe and Central Asia

Corruption. Corruption has been the most significant problem within Georgia's law enforcement agencies. Georgia's anti- corruption efforts continue to be hampered by the widespread tolerance of corruption within Georgian society. During 2001 the Government of Georgia formed a commission to reform the law enforcement agencies (so-called "power ministries"). The commission developed a strategy for reorganization that was forwarded to the Georgian National Security Council; however, no significant changes were made. In any case, none of these proposed measures can truly ameliorate the situation given the low wages of officials and poor standard of behavior from those in charge that nourish wide-scale, low level corruption. The new hope of eradicating corruption within the system emerged with the appointment of a new Minister of Internal Affairs, who has publicly and repeatedly announced his commitment to combating corruption and the trafficking ... [Read More]

Non-Immigrant Visa Waiver Program - Panama

The only form required to use the waiver is form I-94W, which is obtained from the carrier at the time of boarding. Travel must be aboard a signatory airline or ship. ... [Read More]

Belgium

Organized workers, including civil servants, have the right to strike; however, members of the merchant marine, the military, and magistrates do not. The federal and local police forces have the right to strike; however, the Government can order necessary personnel back to work to maintain law and order. Even though many strikes begin as wildcat actions, strikers are not prosecuted for failure to observe strike procedures in collective bargaining agreements. Crimes committed during a strike action, such as causing bodily harm or damage to property, are clearly illegal strike methods, which the authorities prosecute. The size and frequency of strikes increased over those held in 2000. The most prominent strikes during the year concerned collective bargaining for postal workers and education workers and the demise of the national airline, Sabena. ... [Read More]

V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G

Canada is primarily a destination and transit country for women trafficked for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation. Women and children are trafficked from Central and South America, Eastern Europe, and Asia for sexual exploitation. To a lesser extent, men, women, and children are trafficked for forced labor. There is internal trafficking of Canadians for the sex trade. The majority of foreign victims transiting Canada are bound for the United States. Numbers are hard to gauge, but in February 2004, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) estimated that 800 persons are trafficked into Canada annually and that an additional 1,500-2,200 persons are trafficked through Canada into the United States. Some estimate that this number is much higher. The Government of Canada fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The Government of C ... [Read More]