US embassy cable - 05PRAGUE835

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