If you find yourself increasingly concerned about the safety of travel to United States, you aren’t alone.
Canada and several European nations — including Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom — have each issued travel warnings over the past few weeks in response to troubling changes in U.S. immigration policy.
Most of those European nations are warning their citizens about new U.S. rules regarding a traveller’s gender markers on their travel documents. For example, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is telling its citizens that, pursuant to an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, the U.S. now only recognizes the male and female sexes. The advisory also warns that if the gender listed on an applicant’s passport does not match their gender at birth, their travel permit or visa application can be refused.
A number of countries, including Canada, have updated their travel advisories for the United States in the wake of policies introduced by President Donald Trump. It’s now up to travellers to decide if a visit to the U.S. is worth it. (The Canadian Press files)
Similarly, both the Dutch and Irish governments are warning their respective citizens that Electronic System for Travel Authorization and visa applications should reflect the traveller’s biological sex at birth. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs further warns it citizens that travellers whose passport indicates a gender that is different than their gender at birth should contact the U.S. embassy for further guidance before attempting to enter the U.S.
Beyond that concern, the Danish government is also warning its citizens that they risk being denied entry or expelled from the U.S. if they provide false reasons for visiting, overstay the period of time allowed by their visas or are convicted of a criminal offence.
Germany’s Foreign Office is telling German citizens that U.S. border officials have the final say regarding who is eligible to enter the U.S., and that the German government is powerless to reverse a denial of entry. The United Kingdom takes that warning a step further, telling its citizens that they may be liable to arrest or detention should they fail to comply with all entry rules, and that the rules are enforced “strictly.”
While most of the European advisories focus on America’s treatment of transgender travellers, Canada is warning its citizens that “Canadians and other foreign nationals visiting the United States for periods longer than 30 days must be registered with the United States government … Failure to comply with the registration requirement could result in penalties, fines and misdemeanour prosecution.”
That last sentence illustrates the likely reason for all of the updated advisories. Several German citizens have recently been arrested and detained by U.S. border agents while attempting to legally enter the U.S., and a U.K. resident was reportedly detained earlier this month while attempting to legally enter the U.S. from Canada.
In another case, a French space scientist was refused entry into the U.S. to attend a conference, and was deported after U.S. border officials read the contents of his smartphone and found what they characterized as “hateful” messages regarding U.S. government policy.
The most egregious example of mistreatment by U.S. border officials may be the case of Canadian Jasmine Mooney, who was detained at the U.S.-Mexico border and shipped to a jail in Arizona after attempting to renew her U.S. work visa. Despite not being charged with any crime, she was held for two weeks in horrific conditions. She was only released after friends and family members alerted the media.
Earlier this week, a CNN report detailed the concerns that another Canadian citizen, Marina Sinden, has regarding her ability to re-enter the U.S. after visiting her family in Alberta next month. The married mother of two resides in Washington state, but fears she won’t be permitted to return to her husband and children.
In a video posted online, she says that “Canadians across the board, whether its economically or at the border, don’t know what to expect from this administration. We don’t feel that reliability. We don’t feel safe.”
Sinden’s not alone in that sentiment. Nobody wants to experience what Jasmine Mooney and many others have endured, and that is why governments all over the world, including the government of Canada, are encouraging their citizens to reflect upon whether visiting America at this time is worth the risk.
For an increasing number of travellers, the answer is obvious: It isn’t.
