CBP, counterparts explore Enhance Preclearance efficiency, effectiveness

Efforts to enhance Preclearance efficiency and effectiveness served as the prime focus during the recent Preclearance Port Directors Summit in Abu Dhabi.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials met with counterparts from the Department of State and the United Arab Emirates personnel during the session, as a means of bolstering domestic Preclearance operations.

“Preclearance has accomplished a lot for CBP and the American public, but it would be a mistake to accept the status quo,” Clay Thomas, Preclearance Port director in Dublin, Ireland, said. “This summit was about making Preclearance more efficient and effective.”

CBP’s Preclearance Field Office processed more than 22.4 million passengers and crew bound for 167 airports, interdicting more than 9,000 inadmissible travelers before they boarded flights to the United States.

Clint Lamm, director of the Preclearance Field Office, said CBP approached the summit with a fundamental strategic question — how to further improve Preclearance so that officials can provide even more value to the traveling public, industry partners and U.S. national security.

“Strong international relationships support our ability to protect the homeland and our constant pursuit to enhance the services we provide,” he said. “His Excellency Al Darmaki’s perspective on entrepreneurial approaches to business transformation and public-private partnerships resonated with Preclearance.”

Through Preclearance, CBP strategically positions Officers and Agricultural Specialists overseas to inspect travelers before boarding flights bound for the United States. The operations enhance security while facilitating swifter entry and faster connection times for U.S.-bound travelers.