http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/index/ en U.S. Department of State 2009-11-07T00:24:20+00:00 About the Author: Ryan Palsrok serves as the Public Outreach Coordinator for the Department of State's Office of Children's Issues.

You may have recently read about an international child custody case with Brazil. This particular case has received significant media attention. It has been a very long, painful journey for those involved, especially the young boy’s father.

Sadly, this case is not unique. Records kept by the Department of State’s Office of Children's Issues show more than 1,600 children wrongfully taken or kept abroad by a parent during 2008. This reflects roughly a 40 percent increase in cases from 2007.

Parental child abduction is a tragedy – and a federal crime – that jeopardizes children and has substantial long-term consequences for the “left-behind” parent, the child, the family, and society. Children who are abducted by their parents are often suddenly isolated from their extended families, friends, and classmates. They are at risk of serious emotional and psychological problems. Similarly, left-behind parents experience a wide range of emotions including betrayal, loss, anger, and depression. In international cases, they often face unfamiliar legal, cultural, and linguistic barriers that compound these emotions.

That is why the Department of State has an office dedicated to the issue. The Office of Children’s Issues assists parents in the United States and overseas whose children have been taken or kept abroad against their wishes by the other parent. It aims to protect the welfare of children who have been victimized in these cases.

If you find yourself in a situation that could result in an abduction of a child, visit Travel.State.gov/ChildAbduction. You can learn about best ways to work out your custody decree with your ex-spouse, discover how to enter your child’s name into the Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program, and find how to contact the Office of Children’s Issues. We are here to help.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/international_parental_child_abduction/ 2009-05-18T20:28:42+00:00 About the Author: Josh Glazeroff serves as the Visa Chief in the consular section of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.

Working in the visa section of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, my colleagues and I spend a lot of our day interacting with Indian citizens (and thousands of citizens of other nations around the world). As consular officers, however, our primary responsibility is to assist American citizens and provide them relevant consular services. These services to American citizens and visas come together in one special area: international adoptions. At the end of what can be a long process, the American citizen parents’ new children will need visas. Given the volume of people we see each day and the number of personal situations we consider, adoptions stand out as one of the most heartwarming. We are witnesses to the coming together of a family.

A couple of months ago I ran into a friend of a friend at the office.

“What are you doing in India?” I asked.

“We’re adopting a child.”

Wow. It was big news. I hadn’t been in touch for awhile, and she had just become a mom! She and her husband had invested a lot of time and energy in their decision and the process that followed. In the end, they were the parents of a son, whom they had yet to officially name. It was something with which I could identify – all new parents spend some time considering the name of their child – but this child was already over a year old! They were embarking on a journey as a new family, and their first stop happened to be our office. Their excitement certainly would not be dampened by any paperwork requirements. I was impressed by their dedication and thoughtfulness.

The flipside of the happy family addition via adoption is the terrible tragedy of baby-selling or baby-stealing. Recent news reports indicated that one or more Indian children were taken from their biological parents and “adopted” by unwitting foreigners (not Americans). The events happened a few years ago, but the very frightening possibility of such an occurrence has intensified the care with which we work on such cases. We have engaged with colleagues at other embassies in New Delhi to revisit our procedures and identify opportunities for improvement. We continue to work closely with our Indian government contacts to avoid miscommunication. We have conducted a careful top-to-bottom review of all our processes to ensure we comply with all the regulations involved.

The story of the adoptive parents finding a child to complete their family is one of genuine joy. It is very rewarding to play a role, even a small one, in facilitating the process. The care with which we undertake our work truly affects people’s lives – a lesson of which I am reminded every day.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/consular_officers_assist_families/ 2009-05-11T17:54:42+00:00 About the Authors: Gina El Koury and Liza Petrush are consular officers in the Special Consular Services unit at the U.S. Embassy in London..

An embassy’s consular wardens play an integral role in assisting American citizens living abroad. Each U.S. post abroad has a network of volunteers in the community who live, work, study, or socialize with large groups of Americans. These volunteers, called “wardens” – aptly named after WWII air raid wardens – help us spread messages to the American community overseas. Because of their close ties to the U.S. expat community, wardens are often the fastest and most effective route to distributing information to Americans.

In early February 2009, Embassy London hosted 48 of our approximately 150 wardens for our first annual Warden Conference. This conference introduced the wardens to their Embassy counterparts, gave them time to network and exchange ideas, and provided them with training on how they would work with the Embassy to assist Americans affected by a crisis in the United Kingdom. Watch our video to hear their comments on being a warden.

In some places, such as London, the Department communicates with our wardens via email. In others, U.S. embassies and consulates use text messaging systems to alert wardens that information is available that they need to disseminate to the Americans in their care. In some countries, we might rely on radios or satellite telephones to stay in touch with wardens in more distant locations without the infrastructure to support email or text message communications.

In the United Kingdom, we often rely on our wardens to disseminate Embassy information regarding critical events with security and safety implications for the American community. In other locations, the warden network might be activated to pass Americans emergency messages regarding evacuation meeting points or areas of conflict to avoid.

Warden messages are only one part of the State Department’s Consular Information Program, which is designed to provide Americans with the background they need to make informed decisions about traveling abroad. More information about the Consular Information Program, as well as the services U.S. embassies and consulates can provide to Americans overseas, is available on the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs travel information website.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/volunteers_assisting_abroad/ 2009-03-29T03:36:40+00:00 "Passport Day in the USA", a national outreach event to inform the public about the upcoming changes to U.S. travel document requirements, provide passport information and accept passport applications from U.S. citizens from coast-to-coast and border-to-border. All Department of State Passport Agencies, and many Passport Acceptance Facilities around the country, will host passport application acceptance events. U.S. citizens without a valid passport book or passport card are encouraged to apply on this day.

U.S. citizens will receive passport information and can apply for their passport at “Passport Day in the USA” events. U.S. Passport Agencies will permit walk-ins to appear without an appointment and will offer routine service for no additional fee. Those individuals who request routine service when applying are not required to pay the expedite fee of $60.00 and can expect to receive their passport in approximately four to six weeks.

Individuals who request expedited service on their passport application on March 28, whether they apply at a U.S. Passport Agency or at another passport acceptance facility, will be required to pay the expedite fee of $60.00. Those who request expedite service can expect to receive their passport in approximately two to three weeks.

The hours of operation for each Passport Agency for this event may vary across the country. Citizens should check our website at travel.state.gov for official times. Times may also vary for Passport Acceptance Facilities, so U.S. citizens should check with their local acceptance facility for event information.

Information on the cost and how to apply for a passport book and/or a passport card is available at travel.state.gov. U.S. citizens may also obtain passport information by phone by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778.

As of January 23, 2007, everyone traveling in and out of the United States by air needs a passport. On June 1, 2009, U.S. citizens must present a passport book, passport card, or other travel documents approved by the U.S. government to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land borders and sea ports of entry. Additional information on travel requirements is available at www.getyouhome.gov.

The Department of State, together with the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Postal Service, and non-postal Passport Acceptance Facilities, are working together to ensure that citizens are aware of the new requirements effective June 1.
]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/passport_day/ 2009-03-27T19:53:40+00:00 U.S. Consular Officers offer tips for safe international travel during spring break.

PAUL GHIOTTO: Hi, everyone. Greetings from the United States Consulate in Merida on the Yucatan Peninsula. We’re here to spread some tips for safe travels during spring break. Spring break season here in the Yucatan Peninsula, which comprises Cancun and the Riviera Maya, is – generally hits its peak in March. And although the majority of students have a safe time on their trip here in the Yucatan, we also assist students with problems that they encounter. So we want to pass along some tips for those of you who are traveling down here for spring break.

THU NGUYEN: Basically people should use their common sense. If you’re not going to do it at home, think twice about doing it in Mexico. Always stick with a friend. Watch what people put into your drinks.

ANNE HARRIS: Awfully important that they remember that it’s not a theme park, it’s a sovereign country with laws. And even though they think possibly American citizens won’t be prosecuted outside of their country, that they’ll be treated as tourists, they really need to understand the possible criminal results of an unfortunate choice during their vacation.

SAMANTHA MASON: Basically the best advice I can give is to not to take a vacation from your common sense. I think – enjoy your vacation in moderation, stick with the other people in your party, at all times use the buddy system, but have fun, you know. But don’t be incited by others to do crazy things.

ANNE HARRIS: Well, you know, pretty much do what your parents told you. Don’t make bad choices. Because something that is going to be a minor inconvenience in your own country can really turn out to be a very serious situation when you’re so far from home. You’re not going to be able to deal with the language. It’s a different legal system. It’s going to be a massive amount of expense to get yourself out of it. In some of the situations, people are injured.

You really need to use good judgment. Ninety-five percent of the injuries that we see involve impaired judgment, reduced ability to respond to a situation because of drugs or alcohol. And really, you know, listen to your parents. It’s not a good idea to go out and get so incapacitated with alcohol or drugs that you don’t know where you are or who’s with you or if you’re safe, what’s going to – what may happen.

SAMANTHA MASON: Go to www.travel.state.gov and you’ll find information on Mexico in general. There’s also a special section for spring breakers.

THU NGUYEN: Travel.state.gov is a great place to start. From there, you can find information about Mexico in particular. You can find information about traveling overseas in general, about getting health insurance or medical insurance that will cover you while you’re overseas, and also you’ll find links to registering with your embassy or your consulate so that you can receive the latest information when you’re overseas.

ANNE HARRIS: Go to StudentsAbroad.state.gov, and it’s a really excellent resource.

PAUL GHIOTTO: So the bottom line is use the same good sense that you use back home here in Mexico. And learn a little bit more about your destination before you travel. You can go on travel.state.gov to read about Mexico on the country information sheet. You can also register for your trip on travel.state.gov to let us know a little bit more about your itinerary in the case that we do need to assist you. And should you need help, you can seek help here in the United States Consulate in Merida or in the United States Consular Agencies in Cancun, Cozumel, or Playa del Carmen.

Be safe and have a great trip.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/spring_break_stay_safe/ 2009-03-13T13:40:45+00:00