A report released Friday by the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) noted that more restrictive U.S. visa policies, implemented after the 9/11 attacks, appear to be costing the American economy more than $5 billion in direct and indirect revenue losses annually.
The report added that America has been losing thousands of Arab students every year to other nations. As a result, the next generation of leaders in the Arab world is less likely to have studied in the U.S. and to have gained an appreciation for American institutions and culture. This has long-term implications for U.S.-Arab relations, U.S.-Arab Tradeline said.
“We appreciate the need for strong security measures, and we believe that the Departments of State and Homeland Security are taking steps to mitigate some of the most onerous visa requirements,” said David Hamod, President of NUSACC. “Nevertheless, we remain concerned that current visa policies -- by intimidating and/or precluding legitimate Arab businesspersons, students, tourists, medical patients, and others -- may be having the unintended effect of strengthening the hand of extremists who want to drive a wedge between the United States and other nations around the world.”
The NUSACC report estimated that the direct impact of these policies costs the U.S. nearly $1.5 billion in annual revenues from the Arab world: business in general (-$400m.), academia (-$50m.), culture & the arts, medicine & healthcare (-$500m.), and travel & tourism (-$500m.). This figure climbs to more than $5 billion when all services and indirect revenues are included. (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
