Part II

CBP assess all passengers flying into U.S. for terrorist risk via Joint Terrorism Task Force and systems such as Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indication Technology US-VISIT, and the Student and Exchange Visitor System SEVIS CBP also work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to screen high-risk imported food shipments in order to prevent bio-terrorism/agro-terrorism.

Through the Container Security Initiative, CBP works jointly with host nation counterparts to identify and screen containers that pose a risk at the foreign port of departure before they are located on board vessels bound for the U.S. CSI is implemented in 20 of the largest ports in terms of container shipments to the U.S., and at a total of 58 ports worldwide.

CBP has the authority to search outbound shipments, and uses targeting to carry out its mission in this area. In conjunction with the Department of State and the Bureau of the Census, CBP has put in place regulations that require submission of electronic export information on U.S. Munitions List and for the Commerce Control List. CBP uses advance information from the Automated Targeting System and the Automated Export System to identify cargo that may pose a threat. CBP also work with the Departments of State and Defense to improve procedures on exported shipments of foreign military sales commodities, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to size outbound currency.

Task 12. Answer the following questions:

1. How many employees do U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have as a workforce?

2. What do Air Marine Interdiction Agents prevent people from?

3. What does The CBP Canine Enforcement Program conduct?

4. There are 317 officially designed ports of entry and an additional 14 pre-clearance locations in Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean, aren’t they?

5. What systems do the work of screening high-risk imported food shipments in order to prevent bio-terrorism/agro-terrorism?

6. Does CBP have the authority to search outbound shipments or only uses targeting to carry out its mission in this area?

7. What other Departments does CBP also work with?

Task 13. Read the text about Customs Service in Canada. The phrases below go into the article. You are to guess where exactly they go in the article. The first one has been done for you.

Text 6 Putting Our Security at Risk

Imagine it’s the summer and about 50 per cent of your local police force is made up of young students who, at bet, have completed two weeks of basic training.

The students wear the uniform and the badge like a police officer. And to the general public, this is exactly what they appear to be – full-fledged and trained police officers. 1. d.

While customs officers’ duties vary greatly from police officers’, their role in protecting Canada from security threats is just as important. Customs officers intercept drugs and firearms, and identify and examine people who may present a high risk to security. 2.______

Agency hires university and college students, gives the two to three weeks of training and then sends them – during the year’s peak travel period – to perform 95 per cent of the duties of a full-time customs officer. 3._______

Canada Customs defends the hiring of students by stating that after their training, students continue to get on-the-job instruction, and they work under the supervision of experienced, full-time customs officers.

But how much supervision can a student really be expected to rely on when working alone in an inspection booth? 4. ______

Colette Gentes-Hawn, a spokesperson for Canada Customs and Revenue, is not concerned with the employment of students as customs officers. 5._______

This is probably true. But, it avoids the more important issue of whether or not students with very little training can be expected to effectively safeguard Canada against possible risks to the country’s security.

Student customs officers need to be replaced by more full-time, fully trained personnel, immediately and regardless of cost. 6.______

a) The security of Canadians is too important to be put at risk.

b) It doesn’t seem likely that a superintendent by telephone would be much help to a student.

c) Full-time customs officers go through a rigorous eight-week program at Rigaud College in Quebec. This is followed by weeks of on-the-job training.

d) Obviously, this is not the case in police organizations across Canada. Regrettably, this is exactly what is happening across the country at Canada.

e) With such a limited amount of training, how can these students possibly be expected to perform all the duties expect of them?

f) “Our students are a very, very important part of our workforce,” she says. “We have nothing but praise for the work they’ve done for us”.

Step 3

Talking points

Task 14. Say whether the sentences are true or false. Begin your answer with: “I think, you are right!” or “I suppose, you are wrong!”

1. The United States Border Patrol is the mobile, uniformed law building arm of the U.S.

2. The initial force of 430 officers was given the responsibility of combating illegal entries and the growing business of alien smuggling.

3. Agents work around the clock on assignment in all types of terrain and weather conditions.

4. One of the most important activities of a Border Patrol Agent is television watch.

5. Some of the major activities are traffic check, traffic observation, city entertainment, transportation check, administrative, intelligence and anti-smuggling activities.

Task 15. Work in a team (of three or four). Discuss the difficulties and similarities in the work of:

1. British and Russian Customs Services.

2. British and Russian Immigration Services.

Task 16. Divide into two teams. Each team should give as many facts as possible about British Customs Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Task 17. Comment on the statement:

Border controls are measures used by a country to monitor or regulate its borders.

Task 18. Work in groups.

1. Group A. Discuss the advantages of employing university and college students with as full-time customs officers.

2. Group B. Discuss the disadvantages of employing university and college students with no experience at all as full-time customs officers.

Task 19. Work with your group mates. Choose any role:

1. British Customs Officer;

2. British Immigration Officer;

3. Russian students of Customs Department of AAEL (Altay Academy of Economics and Law).

Be prepared to meet up with other students to act out a small interview using your own ideas as well as the information from the previous texts.

Step 4

Project

Task 20. Find out the information about the USA Customs Service. Prepare a presentation about it. (You can use the information from the Appendix I and Internet recourses).