Caribbean countries mull border management

Officials from 11 Caribbean countries have met in Trinidad and Tobago to discuss increased cooperation in border security and management.

Reported in Security Document World, the two-day International Organization of Migration (IOM) workshop was funded by the U.S. Department of State and was focused specifically on the best practices in border security as well as fostering regional cooperation.

The IOM is currently working with several countries on border security in the region. According to the report, in Belize, through a U.S.-funded program, the IOM has provided the country with a new border management system, which includes fingerprint scanners.

Managed through a central server at the Immigration Department, the system runs on IOM software known as the “Personal Information and Registration System (PIRS), which is currently in use in 18 different countries.

In a recent Biometric Research Note, a newly proposed eID border crossing program in the Caribbean is profiled, which the research group suggests “has the potential of being the most effective eID implementation ever implemented.”

The eventual deployment of the CARIPASS program will facilitate fast travel between participating countries. To participate in the system, eligible travellers will be required to pre-enroll at local immigration offices and have a facial image and two fingerprint images captured.

Reported previously, the use of biometrics is spreading across the region. Seniors in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago will soon be able to use biometrics to access social benefits.

Likewise, the government of Haiti will partner with Smartmatic to modernize the Caribbean country’s civil and identity registration system. 

Article Topics

border control  |  border management  |  border security  |  government  |  immigration  |  travel and tourism