Passport Politics

Rarely do travel restrictions enter the discourse of strategic foreign policy-makers. It is doubtful that Henry Kissinger spent much time on the subject. Grander and more long-term issues such as the balance of power get more air-time and attention. It is up to consular officials in the State Department to handle the mundane, everyday issues of U.S. foreign Policy: issuing passports and granting visas.

However, as with so many other issues: it is the little things that count. Denying access to wanting visitors can poison relations with other countries. American officials seem to recognize this, hence the many exchange programs initiated over the years. Without such programs, it is easy for foreign populaces to simply agree with the stereotypes of Americans: fat, arrogant, loud, and uncultured.

It is rare that foreigners who actually make the trek to the United States continue to believe these things. And upon returning to their home countries, they relay their adventures and perceptions of America—hopefully positive—to fellow nationals, likely spreading a more constructive view of the United States. In the grand scheme of things, this can help foster better international relations and more support for U.S. foreign policy.

Seen in this light, the travel restrictions imposed on many Eastern Europeans are tragic. Poland is one such country excluded from the Visa Waiver Program, which allows visitors to enter the United States for ninety days without a visa. As a result, travel and commerce between the two countries suffers. This may seem inconsequential to U.S. officials, but it is at the top of the list of priorities for many Poles, and is beginning to damage what would be an otherwise close relationship.

The alliance between the two is quite strong. Poland sent a large contingency to Iraq and plans to host a U.S.-sponsored missile-defense shield. As is the case with many of its neighbors, the country still harbors much goodwill towards the United States for its support and calls for freedom during the Cold War. Warsaw, given its troubled history, is paranoid and sees Washington as the most likely guarantor of protection from an increasingly resurgent and interventionist Russia.

Unsurprisingly, Polish popular sentiment is largely pro-American—especially when compared to its Western European counterparts. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman declares: “I found the cure to anti-Americanism: Come to Poland.” Michael Mandelbaum, U.S. Foreign Policy expert from Johns Hopkins, adds: “Poland is the most pro-American country in the world — including the United States.”

But things are changing—for the worse. The 2007 edition of Transatlantic Trends, the influential survey conducted by the German Marshall Fund, bears this out. In 2002, 64% of Poles found strong U.S. world leadership to be desirable. Now, only 40% share that sentiment. Similarly, generic approval rating for the U.S. declined from 65% in 2002 to 57% in 2007.

Many factors are at play here, which could explain the waning pro-American sentiment: adverse effects from the Iraq War and the onset of European Union membership, to name a few. But to be sure, the visa restrictions are playing a primary role in the rise in Polish anti-Americanism. In a recent PBS documentary entitled, “The Anti-Americans: A Hate/Love Relationship”, one Pole pointed out that while blatantly anti-American Frenchman can travel to the U.S. without problems, Poles cannot.

Whenever border issues are brought up, national security concerns surface. Granting asylum to criminals or foreigners bent on doing the country harm obviously should not be U.S. policy. But in this case, these fears are unlikely to be realized. These are Poles, not Syrians: what is the problem?

There are inherent problems—Poland is not devoid of shady characters who wish to travel to the U.S. and there are floods of Islamic, potentially fundamentalist, immigrants residing in Europe—so there should be regulations. But the Visa Waiver Program needs to be updated immediately. Benefits of the program should be bestowed upon countries, like Poland, whose citizens pose little or no security risks and whose governments are friendly to the United States.

A little bit goes a long way. Clearing up these visa difficulties would closely align Poland with the United States for the foreseeable future; giving Polish leaders the political support and leverage to collaborate with the U.S. on future projects such as the missile defense shield. Passport politics is not likely to be taught in intro to international relations courses. But visas, however unexciting, should be part of the U.S. foreign policy arsenal.