BILATERAL CONSULAR WORKING GROUP FOCUSES ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 000835

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR/NCE AND CA/VO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS CMGT PREL EZ
SUBJECT: BILATERAL CONSULAR WORKING GROUP FOCUSES ON
IMPLEMENTATION OF VISA WAIVER ROADMAP



1. (SBU) Summary: The third meeting of the U.S.-Czech
Bilateral Consular Working Group was held on June 1 at the
Czech Foreign Ministry. Its agenda followed the elements of
the visa roadmap aimed at eventual qualification of the Czech
Republic for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP),an important
Czech foreign policy goal. The Czechs reported progress
toward production of biometric passports. Formation of one
sub-working group was agreed to in order to facilitate a
study of visa overstays and of another to cooperate on the
introduction of biometrics in Czech passports. The Czechs
are prepared to begin an information campaign discouraging
abuse of visas and it was agreed that the Embassy and MFA
press sections should meet to discuss how it should be
shaped. Both sides agreed that the opening of the EU labor
market to Czech workers may reduce the number of Czechs
seeking to work in the United States. The Czechs revealed
that they are discussing a lobbying plan for the U.S.
Congress with other new EU member states to promote a
legislative solution to visa-free travel for their citizens,
but shed no light on invoking the EU's solidarity clause.
End Summary.


2. (SBU) The Czech side of the meeting was chaired by Lubos
Novy, General Director of the Legal and Consular Section of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Attending for the
Czech government were Ivan Zalesky, Director of the MFA
Consular Department, Ivana Holoubkova, Director of the North
American Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ivo
Svoboda, MFA Consular Department, and Tomas Haisman and
Robert Solich of the Asylum and Migration Affairs Department
of the Ministry of Interior. The U.S. side was chaired by
Consul General Richard Appleton, and the meeting was attended
by Ken Hillas, DCM, Michael Hahn, PAO, Eliska Tretera,
Justice Attache, and Robert Kiene, Economic Officer.


3. (SBU) At the request of the Czech side, the agenda
focused on the elements of the visa waiver roadmap, which was
formally agreed to in April. The tone of the meeting was
extremely cordial and Novy opened with thanks for U.S.
cooperation on the visa issue, past and future.

BIOMETRIC PASSPORTS
--------------


4. (SBU) Solich reported that the Ministry of Interior is
preparing biometric passports, subject to approval by the
cabinet of ministers. He estimates that passports containing
a chip with a facial image will be ready by August 2006 and
with both facial image and fingerprint by 2008. The
passports will comply with all EU and ICAO regulations. Old
passports will neither be recalled nor extended, but will be
replaced with biometric versions as they expire. Haisman
said that the Ministry expects the program to cost 4.5 to 5
billion Czech crowns ($180-200 million) over five years and
that it will not be easy for the government to finance. DCM
Hillas noted that the key requirement from the U.S. is that
the Czech Republic be producing biometric passports. The
Czech side suggested establishing a working group to guide
the process and welcomed the idea of sending Czechs to the
United States to obtain expertise in the production of
biometric passports.

STUDY OF VISA OVERSTAYS
--------------


5. (SBU) Novy noted the roadmap element of a study of 2005
visa overstays and suggested creation of a sub-working group
on how to reduce such overstays by Czechs in the United
States. CG Appleton said that the consulate will be
undertaking a validation study of 2005 visa recipients and
also a partial validation study of 2004 recipients, which
should give some data on overstays. One indicator that could
be examined is the number of open tickets for which the
return is not used by Czech travelers to the U.S.

ANTI-OVERSTAY CAMPAIGN
--------------


6. (SBU) Zalesky said that the Czechs are ready to start a
public relations campaign to discourage abuse of visas. The
MFA has discussed the idea with the International
Organization for Migration. Zalesky expects the campaign to
cost about $50,000. He expects to distribute leaflets,
primarily to university and high school students, but he is
not now considering television advertising as this seems to
be prohibitively expensive. He was interested in whether the
United States would contribute financially to such a
campaign. DCM Hillas said that post would inquire but this
was unlikely. CG Appleton suggested distributing the
leaflets with each issued visa at the consulate. PAO Hahn
agreed to meet with the MFA's press department and the IOM to
discuss ideas for the campaign.

REVIEW OF ASSUMPTIONS
--------------


7. (SBU) Novy asked for clarification as to what the U.S.
meant by a "review of assumptions under which U.S. Embassy
consular sections apply criteria for tourist and business
visas". CG Appleton said that the results of the validation
studies the consulate will conduct will be important to this
review. He said that he has received few complaints about
business visas. About four thousand exchange visitor visas
for au pairs and work study programs will be issued this
year, with nearly all exchange visitors expected to return
home. He said there is evidence that pensioners, whose
incomes are low, are working illegally in the U.S. as
domestics and janitors. DCM Hillas added that statistics on
the number of Czechs going to work in other EU countries
would be useful information for the Embassy to have in
handling visa applications. Hloubkova said that increasing
work opportunities in other EU countries will inevitably
reduce demand for work in the United States. Haisman said
that illegal migration into the Czech Republic is declining
not only due to enforcement but also to the creation of
opportunities for legal work, and urged the USG to consider
ways to facilitate legal work in the United States.


8. (SBU) CG Appleton noted that visa refusal rates for Czech
citizens have gradually declined over the last three years.
Although they are presently the lowest in the Central
European region, they are not close to the 3% level required
by law for the visa waiver, he added. Novy worried that it
would take the Czechs a long time to meet the VWP criteria.
DCM Hillas said that although the Czechs are unlikely to meet
the VWP requirements in the near future, the gradual opening
of work opportunities in Germany and Austria over the next
few years may help to reduce overstays and refusals.
Hloubkova said that there is a need to spread information not
only about avoiding overstaying but also how to stay legally
in the U.S. -- as well as the positive information that 9 out
of 10 Czech applicants receive their visas.

CLEAN SLATE FOR PRE-1989 OVERSTAYS
--------------


9. (SBU) Novy suggested the "clean slate" for pre-1989
overstays could help the Czechs on their path to the visa
waiver. However, CG Appleton said that the "clean slate"
would affect very few individuals, because the few Czechs who
could obtain U.S. visas under the Communist regime were
well-trusted and normally returned home.

APPROACHING CONGRESS AND THE EU FOR HELP
--------------


10. (SBU) Hloubkova said that the Czechs are discussing a
plan for lobbying the U.S. Congress on the visa issue with
other Central European countries, including Poland. The
actual countries to participate in the effort are not yet
determined. The Czechs have not asked the EU to take formal
action, but the visa issue will be mentioned to President
Bush at the next U.S.-EU summit, she said.

NEXT MEETING
--------------


11. (SBU) It was agreed that the next Bilateral Consular
Working Group meeting will take place in September.

HILLAS