After several Germans were recently detained at the border, Germany has updated its travel advice for the US to stress that a visa or entry permit does not guarantee entry for its citizens, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said, as US President Donald Trump tightened immigration policies, including stricter visa screening procedures, to crack down on illegal migrants, on Wednesday, the 19th of March, reported Reuters and Politico.
The ministry updated its website with travel advice for the US on Tuesday to clarify that neither approval under the US ESTA system nor a US visa gives the right to enter in all cases.
“The final decision on whether a person may enter the US is made by US border authorities,” a spokesperson said on Wednesday.
However, the spokesperson stressed that these changes should not be considered travel warnings. However, it is stressed that even minor violations, such as overstaying a visa or misrepresenting travel plans, can result in immediate deportation or a ban on future entry.
THE GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SAID THIS WEEK THAT IT WAS MONITORING WHETHER THERE HAD BEEN ANY CHANGES IN THE US IMMIGRATION POLICY FOLLOWING THE DETENTION OF THREE OF ITS CITIZENS.
Three German nationals were detained at US entry points, two of whom were held for several days before being sent back.
One German traveller described being held in shackles at the US-Mexico border before being deported, while another spent more than a week in a Boston detention centre.
A third case is reportedly being handled through the Consulate General in Boston. According to WGBH, a public broadcaster in Boston, a German with a green card residency permit was detained by immigration authorities at Boston airport earlier this month and is being held in a detention centre.