U.S. Government to start Fingerprinting Foreign Travelers

The U.S. government is considering plans to start fingerprinting foreign travelers. This will include cruisers as they leave the USA.
Homeland Security Department, would require cruise lines to collect fingerprints from passengers as they board ships in Miami and other U.S. ports. Airlines would have to collect fingerprints at airports. Only foreigners would be fingerprinted, not U.S. citizens. We may expect delays for everyone at cruise ship terminals, when this requirement comes into effect.

In addition to expected delays, there is a good chance this plan will add to the cost of turning around ships in ports. The proposal calls for cruise lines and airlines not the U.S. government to pick up the tab for the fingerprinting. The cost "is above and beyond our biggest nightmare," a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association told USA TODAY. "This is literally the most expensive security program in the history of aviation."

The U.S. government's projected estimate is more than $2 billion over 10 years. Airlines, cruise lines and others will have 60 days to comment before a final requirement is issued. Robert Mocny, a Homeland Security Department official, told USA TODAY that nothing will change for airline and cruise ship passengers between now and June 2009.

Mocny says the proposal is aimed at helping the government track down visitors, including suspected terrorists, who stay in the USA after they are required to leave. What do do you think about this? Will fingerprinting foreigners getting on ships in U.S. ports help improve security? Who do you think is going to pay for this? Cruise lines or the consumers?