Brazil keeps "xenophobic" "Nazi" fingerprinting, photographing US visitors

ChannelNewsAsia ^ | 1/3/04 | ChannelNewsAsia

[freedom44]

BRASILIA, : Brazil says it will not end court-ordered photographing and fingerprinting of US visitors, a tit-for-tat response to a similar US measure, despite grumbling over the US action.

"I consider the act itself absolutely brutal, an attack on human rights, a violation of human dignity, xenophobic and as bad as the worst horrors sponsored by the Nazis," Judge Julier Sebastiao wrote of the US measures, in his decision ordering Brazilian authorities to fingerprint and photograph all US visitors.

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Brazil's policy is to treat foreign visitors as their countries treat Brazilians.

Beginning January 5, US immigration officials at all international airports will vet visitors' passports and visas and pose the usual questions -- before taking their photographs and inkless digital fingerprints.

Visitors from 27 countries whose citizens may enter the United States without a visa are exempt from this "biometric identification." The list of 27 is made up mostly of European countries and does not include Brazil.

A Brazilian foreign ministry spokesman told AFP Friday that the government could appeal the court order, but "never considered it."

Brazilian police photographed and fingerprinted US citizens arriving at Sao Paulo international airport. Police in Rio de Janeiro told the Brazilian news agency, Agencia Brasil, that they had not received official instructions, but would begin the procedure on Saturday.

Biometric identification was taken from about 230 US citizens, many of whom made clear displeasure, according to police.

The United States said Friday that it was Brazil's right to impose such requirements, but deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said in Washington, "Our consulates general in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are monitoring developments on this issue closely."

Ereli said the United States had no plans to complain or even discuss the regulations with Brazilian authorities as "countries have the sovereign right to determine the entry requirements for foreign nationals who apply for admission to their individual country."

"This is their sovereign right to do if they want to do it," he told reporters.

Rio's mayor, Cesar Maia, protested the Brazilian counter-measures, saying, "It makes us an international laughing stock...when Rio has just gotten some international visibility hosting large sporting and tourist events."

"Brazil wants to be treated on an equal footing on every level and 2004 might give standing to new friction," National University of Brazil political science professor David Fleischer told AFP.

The United States raised its terror alert to its next-to-highest level in December. Intelligence indicated that the al-Qaeda network was planning to hijack airliners for a repeat of its September 11 2001 attacks in which some 3,000 died.

[Guillermo]

"I consider the act itself absolutely brutal, an attack on human rights, a violation of human dignity, xenophobic and as bad as the worst horrors sponsored by the Nazis," Judge Julier Sebastiao wrote

Mild hyperbole, considering what we hear from DUh, Bartcrap and Indymedia.

[WackyKat]

Brazil's policy is to treat foreign visitors as their countries treat Brazilians.

Seems fair to me.

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[DeFault User]

How do you fingerprint him?

[Bonaparte]

If they don't want the tourist business, that's up to them. There are lots of other countries to visit.

[RandallFlagg]

Seems fair to me.

Only if we could reverse it. Didn't I read, "Tit for tat??"

[EUPHORIC]

Who wants to visit a place where your possessions are as much a commodity as anything else on the market there.

Many of those idiots cannot tell the difference between theft and earning a wage because of the weird mix of Socialism and Nationalism that exists in third world countries.

[Holly_P]

Not that I am planning any trips to Brazil but it wouldn't bother me to be finger printed if I did.

[Jackson Brown]

I consider the act itself absolutely brutal, an attack on human rights, a violation of human dignity, xenophobic and as bad as the worst horrors sponsored by the Nazis

Yeah, right!! Right up there with the 12 million people killed in the extermination camps!

[SedVictaCatoni]

Seems fair to me.

When I got my visa to go to Turkey, I found out from their consulate that they just have a big table of countries - they simply charge a tourist exactly whatever that country charges Turkish citizens for a visa. The judge's ranting about Nazi immigration practices or whatever aside, fair is fair.

[MadeInOhio]

"`I consider the act itself absolutely brutal, an attack on human rights, a violation of human dignity, xenophobic and as bad as the worst horrors sponsored by the Nazis,' Judge Julier Sebastiao wrote of the US measures, in his decision ordering Brazilian authorities to fingerprint and photograph all US visitors."

So how does he demonstrate his revulsion for -- as he sees it -- Nazi-like atrocities, xenophobia and brutal attacks on human rights and dignity? By mimicking them.

I trust (for Brazil's sake) Sebastiao is among the dimmer bulbs in that nation's judiciary.

[SuziQ]

Americans ought to just smile and be polite about it. It will drive the Brazilians nuts, and when they realize we're not gonna get all hot and bothered about it, they will drop it.

[Richard-SIA]

Ho-Hum, what is the big deal?

We introduced new requirements and they copied them, big deal.

This guy rants irrationally, who cares!

We should have begun taking this info a long time ago, and should apply it equally to ALL countries now. The ones we skip will become the new source of the criminals and terrorist.

I kind of like the idea that they treat people entering their country with the same standard that is used in the visitors home country.
Can we please begin doing the same with all illegal aliens entering the U.S.?
I am sure we are one of the few countries in the world, with the possible exception of Canada and France, that coddles our invaders instead of beating them before certain deportation.

[RussianConservative]

Same as said for US.

[Bonaparte]

Absolutely true, RC.

BTW, have you noticed that people the world over are kicking in the doors to get into America, but not too eager to go to Russia?

[RussianConservative]

Russia have positive immigration not negative...and I notice majority who come: Mexican, Chinese....hmmm have good demographic.