Re: [Debconf-team] [DC14] Portland team: DebConf in the USA
On 16/03/13 20:21, Ana Guerrero wrote:
> On Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 06:27:30PM +0100, Daniel Pocock wrote:
>> My own feeling: countries like the US and Australia shouldn't bother
>> holding major events like DebConf ...
>
> The visas and border problems are not limited to US and Australia
And sometimes even the US and Australia hassle each others' citizens[1].
> and what we have to check every year is we have the resources to
> help the people in the best way possible. This also means sometimes
> sponsoring visas processes when they're expensive.
If the local team could more thoroughly acknowledge those
efforts+expenses and document that in the bid it would probably give
some reassurance.
However, if DebConf were to apply the same principles that inspire the
DFSG, then it would never be able to go to the US or Australia, because
of things like the fingerprinting and all that other nonsense.
The complications of the US system are always growing too, e.g. they do
a lot of data sharing with the UK now. Anybody wrongly arrested in the
UK (see [2] and [3] to see just how common this is) is on a database and
risks being denied access to the VWP or denied entry at the US border.
No other country has such intricate data sharing/snooping arrangements
in place, it is in areas like this that the US visa process really is
unique.
> Back in DC6, IIRC brazilians had a bad time to get their visas. Moray spent
> a quite amount of time helping people when DC7. I don't remember anything
> about DC8, but that doesn't mean nothing happened. In Dc9, I know government
> invitations were issued and sent by post mail. In DC10, there was an email
> alias with a lawyer specialized on this reading behind. Ask to our taiwanese
> contributors about DC11... etc
1.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whale-watch/blow-to-whaling-campaign-sea-shepherd-pilot-denied-visa-20111206-1ogh9.html
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/7940486.stm
3.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/08/olympics-spectator-parkinsons-arrest-smiling
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