Oh well...

[Bereta_Eder]

BTW that's funny.

According to the US gov. Greeks don't need visas.

GREECE - *Passport required. Visa not required for tourist/business stay of up to 90 days. (**90-day period begins when entering Schengen countries.

same as, say, the UK

UNITED KINGDOM (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales) - *Passport required. Visa not required for stay of up to 6 months.

http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html#g

Actually same as say Belgium. The free stay is longer for the UK.

[Bereta_Eder]

But it's propably wrong.

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by Pekka
I didn't know Greece would be the only one. I figured there would be more European countries. I knew this wouldn't be directed to us, but only Greeks in Europe? Hmm, weird. I mean EU, not the whole Europe of course.

Yes we are the only ones.

[Bereta_Eder]

Well I'm not going to visit the US if I'm going to be treated as a criminal. Farewell Memphis, LA, NYC farewell... *waives handerchief*

[Cruddy]

Originally posted by paiktis22
Well I'm not going to visit the US if I'm going to be treated as a criminal. Farewell Memphis, LA, NYC farewell... *waives handerchief*

Oh COME ON... it's not that bad. They don't cram you into a shower full of naked lifers, now do they?

(Thinks... perhaps some Greeks would enjoy that ).

[Bereta_Eder]

I would not enjoy that.

[Bereta_Eder]

Besides, finger prints and photos? Come on police state procedures. We are sensitive to these kind of things, with our past and everything. Creates instant allergies. Besides it's a bit insulting, although I wonder for whom, to be the only ones from the EU to have to go through this. The black sheeps of the family or something.

[lord of the mark]

yup, even Slovenia was on the list of exempt countries, and Singapore too, but not Greece.

[Cruddy]

Like I said Paiktis, it's as easy as possible - you just plonk your fingertip on a scanner and a camera goes snap.

Eventually I would think everybody would have to do this, just to make sure people aren't travelling with false papers.

I mean, if all Greeks are being scanned, all you have to do is get hold of a non-Greek passport - so eventually EVERYONE will have to do it.

[Bereta_Eder]

Actually I've heard that from the enlarged EU (25 states) Slovenia is the same as Greece.


Cruddy, I'm not going to go through all this to get a new passport. Besides wouldn't that mean I'm, no longer Greek? No no

[Bereta_Eder]

And being "easy" is no excuse. Is the whole idea. Who would want to be subjected to being a criminal? I know very few people would. As I said untill this changes, on a matter of principle, I think many people who would love to go to the US for a visit will now decide against it.

[Bereta_Eder]

En passant, I read that the annual foreign visits to the US is only 24 million. By constrast in Greece (which is the size of Alabama) there are annually 13 million visitors.

[Cruddy]

To be honest Paiktis, I always assume I'm under suspicion, whether on the telephone, paying a bill or mobile on a vehicle.

It's not like they don't scan and search everyone's luggage, so really everybody is under suspicion. NOT being treated like a criminal.

"Being a treated like a criminal" means you are punished for being found guilty.

It is the difference between what in the UK is called a "remand" prisoner (prisoner charged with a serious crime who could be a threat) and a convicted prisoner (person who has been found guilty).

I'M NOT SAYING that Greeks should not protest about this, or at least find out WHY they are under more suspicion than other Europeans... but perhaps your govt is a bit embarrassed about the reasons why? I don't know this is true, but it might explain how things turned out this way.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by paiktis22
I think many people who would love to go to the US for a visit will now decide against it.

[Bereta_Eder]

Well I don't know if the government is being embarrassed. From what I know there's a difference of opinions as to how the Greek passports are being issued. The US has said it will lift visa and all that if Greece issues passports through the Ministry of Public Order not through the municipalities. However, for many years now this has remained unchanged.
I think most people are saying "stupid yanks, forget the US visit" instead of blaming the gov, as usual, so the gov. doesn't really care, as usual.