 June 20, 2002 Washington - Alaska Sen. Frank Murkowski and Congessman Don Young on Wednesday hailed a decision by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to permit en route inspections for cruise ships that are traveling from Victoria, British Columbia, to Alaska ports this summer. In 2001, only four cruise ships visited Alaska from Victoria. Because of o the popularity of the route, that number increased to 18 expected sailings for 2002. INS cited concerns about the increased number of sailings and personnel shortages in its initial decision to end pre-clearance and en route inspections of cruise ships sailing from Victoria. In a May 31 letter to INS Commissioner James W. Ziglar, Murkowski noted that many Southeast Alaska communities are heavily dependent on tourism. Murkowski asked Ziglar to see if a way could be found to meet immigration inspection needs for cruise ships making an initial U.S. port of call in Alaska without causing serious economic harm to these communities. "I'm very pleased the INS has agreed to reauthorize en route inspections for these ships on their way to Alaska, rather than forcing them to sit in port in Alaska while the inspections are conducted," Murkowski said. "While the tragic events of Sept. 11 have shown the necessity for caution and toughened procedures, such long delays would have been devastating to the economies of several Southeast communities," Murkowski said. "My office discussed this issue directly with INS Commissioner Ziglar and I'm pleased they were able to come to a solution that helps all parties involved," Young said. "The INS can now conduct en-route inspections that will facilitate clearances in advance of cruise ships' arrival into their first Alaskan port of call. Passengers will not have to needlessly wait for inspections to clear and the ships will be able to accommodate as many ports in Alaska as possible. After traveling great distances to get to the Last Frontier, visitors ought to see as much of Alaska's natural wonders as they can," said Young. According to U.S. immigration policy, each cruise ship must be inspected at its initial port of entry into the United States. Cruise ships sailing from Victoria would have been forced to remain in its first Alaska port of call -- usually Ketchikan, Juneau or Sitka -- while agents checked passengers and crew members individually. Cruise ships owners and community leaders had said the resulting delays would have forced them to spend less time in port or to skip some Alaska communities completely. "I want to thank Commissioner Ziglar for his prompt and effective response to this situation," Murkowski said. "I'm confident their efforts will be of great benefit to Alaska and Alaskans."
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