The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a rule that requires foreigners and United States citizens entering the country from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Canada by plane to carry passports, will soon go into effect. The rule requires the use of passports as of January 8, 2007, for people traveling by air from neighboring countries rather than simply allowing the use of birth certificates and driver's licenses. As early as January 1, 2008, the passport rule will become effective for travelers arriving in the United States by land and sea from countries that were previously exempt. The United States State Department says the changes are necessary to strengthen border security. Security at the border would be improved under the rule by providing more detailed information about individuals. This information will allow the Department of Human Security to quickly and accurately identify travelers. Passports are considered to be a better form of identification because they cover more people than driver's licenses, and they are harder to counterfeit than birth certificates and driver's licenses. Additionally, new passports include biometric information, which make them even more difficult to duplicate. Only 25 percent of U.S. citizens currently carry passports, but requiring passports is consistent with post-9/11 efforts to collect more information about travelers. The passport requirement illustrates the increased focus on border security.