What makes the situation worse, the GAO said, is that the DHS is talking with East European countries whose refusal rate is more than 10 percent “with the expectation that fiscal year 2008 rates will be below this ceiling,” the report said.
The negotiations fit the Bush administration policy of expanding the program to favored countries whose help Washington seeks in the “war on terror” and other policy priorities, the report said.
At present, 27 countries are in the visa waiver program and another 13 so-called “Road Map” countries are in discussions with Washington to join the program. But these, again, exclude Taiwan.
Taiwan’s refusal rate is lower than virtually all of the Road Map countries, the GAO report said.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Henry Chen (陳銘政) said one requirement for the program was integrated chip passports, which Taiwan has not introduced because of concerns by human rights groups. He said the upgraded passports could be ready by year’s end.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JENNY W. HSU
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