MOFA to crack down on passport crimes
Taipei, Jan. 29 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will move to crack down on crimes related to passport fraud and illegal means of applying for U.S. visas, a consular affairs official said Thursday.
Lo Yu-chung, director-general of the MOFA’s Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA), said that during the last half of 2008, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) detected at least 90 cases of fraudulent passport information while processing U.S. visa applications submitted by Taiwan citizens.
“The illegal use of passport information and the use of forged passports by criminal organizations to obtain visas is a major obstacle to Taiwan’s inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, ” Lo said, adding that the BOCA is currently working with relevant government agenices to crack down on such crimes.
One of the MOFA’s priority goals in its diplomatic work in the U.S. in recent years has been to have Taiwan included in the U.S. Visa Waver Program, under which citizens of selected countries may travel to the U.S. for up to 90 days for business or pleasure without a visa, said Lo.
However, there are still a number of issues that need to be resolved before Taiwan can be considered for the Visa Waiver Program, Lo said, mentioning a loophole that allows criminals to use forged passports of Taiwanese children under 14 years of age to obtain U.S. visas.
According to Lo, more than 70 percent of the applications for Taiwanese passports are filed through travel agencies, and under the existing regulations, applications for children under 14 need only be supported by household registration information and a recent photograph submitted by a legal guardian.
The MOFA and the AIT recently discovered that members of criminal organizations are using this loophole to conduct illegal operations, said Lo.
“These criminals offer large sums of money to the legal guardians of Taiwanese children in exchange for identification information of the children to apply for passports, ” Lo said, adding that the criminals then use these Taiwanese passports to apply for U.S. visas.
“The AIT has warned us many times of such criminal activities, ” said Lo, adding that the AIT may stipulate that children under 14 years of age should present their U.S. visa applications in person, if the situation does not improve soon.
In addition, he said, the MOFA with coordinate with the Ministry of the Interior to tighten the Taiwanese passport application process by requiring that applications be submitted in person.
The AIT, which represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties, said recently the United States recognizes that Taiwanese travelers have a strong reputation for abiding by the country’s immigration laws and spending generously while on holiday there, and will therefore consider Taiwan’s wish to join the visa waiver program.
Currently, the U.S. offers visa-free entry to citizens from 34 countries, including South Korea. (By Luis Yu)
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