Berlin has updated its travel advice for the to stress that holding a US visa or entry waiver does not guarantee entry for German citizens.
The change comes after
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said the ministry was taking these incidents seriously.
The ministry changed its advisory on Tuesday. It now includes a reminder that approval through the US ESTA system or holding a US visa does not automatically allow entry in every case.
“The final decision on whether a person can enter the US lies with the US border authorities,” the spokesperson said Wednesday, noting that the same was true for German authorities.
He added that the change did not amount to a travel warning.
What happened to the Germans detained in the US?
In one of the cases, a German man with a green card residency permit was after returning from Luxembourg. He has been held in detention since then, according to family members.
In another case, a 25-year-old German was detained while crossing the border from Mexico with his US fiancee in February, according to the Spiegel news magazine. He spent two weeks in detention before being sent back to .
A 29-year-old woman who was also stopped at the US-Mexican border in January was returned to Germany last week, Spiegel reported.
A shift in US policy
US President Donald Trump has signed a number of executive orders to , border security and visa vetting procedures since entering office in January.
The German Foreign Ministry said earlier this week that it was looking into whether the recent detentions were isolated cases or part of a change in American policy.
Tourists from Germany and other EU countries typically have visa-free access to the US for up to 90 days.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
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