Stockholm, Sweden - Today, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas concluded his trip to Sweden where he met with Swedish counterparts to discuss a range of homeland security-related priorities.
While in Sweden, Deputy Secretary Mayorkas met with Hans Dahlgren, State Secretary for Foreign and EU Affairs to Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, Ann Linde, State Secretary for Home Affairs, and officials from the Swedish state-owned airport authority, Swedavia, to discuss a range of homeland security issues including the expansion of Preclearance operations to Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Earlier this year, Secretary Johnson announced that the United States intends to enter into negotiations to expand air Preclearance operations to ten new foreign airports, located in nine separate countries including Sweden. Deputy Secretary Mayorkas underscored the importance of expanding the Preclearance program, which enables U.S. Customs and Border Protection to stop potential threats before they arrive on U.S. soil and provides strong economic opportunities.
Deputy Secretary Mayorkas also discussed Sweden’s participation in the Visa Waiver Program, which permits visa-free travel to the United States for eligible travelers visiting the United States for 90 days or fewer for business or tourism. They also discussed implementation efforts related to UN Security Council Resolution 2178, which addresses terrorism and preventing the movement of foreign terrorist fighters through improved information sharing, interdiction and arrests, and border security measures.