By Glenroy Sinclair, Staff ReporterWASHINGTON D.C.:
AS THE United States Government continues to implement stringent measures to protect its borders, Jamaicans, especially public officials, who are deemed to be involved in "any acts of corruption" could be denied entry to the US.
That is according to a senior special agent in the US Department of Justice who made the comments during a meeting yesterday with a Jamaican contingent of Coast Guard, police, legal and media personnel. The group is in the country looking at various border security measures which have been implemented by US authorities to safeguard their country's coastline from terrorists, illegal immigrants and narcotics smugglers.
While the special agent would not elaborate on "acts of corruption" he did say there was particular concern about the narcotics trade. He also explained that intelligence, plus evidence of persons who are involved in the corruption, would be passed on to the Jamaican police. Their names would also appear on a "lookout list" at the US ports of entry, and if or when they do turn up, then they would be denied entry.
The special agent further said there were also plans on the part of the United States to get more involved in overseas enforcement operations with other countries.
This includes working with the national airlines to prevent passengers with fraudulent travel documents from boarding flights. Negligence on the part of the airlines could result in a maximum fine of US$3,000.
In the meantime, the Jamaican Government has sought the assistance of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to put in place new measures to strengthen the island's ports of entry. The IOM is an agency based in Washington, D.C. which has been working with governments in several countries, providing human responses to migration challenges.
Following a Border Security agreement signed last year by National Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips and US Ambassador Sue Cobb, the IOM has been approached to enhance the Jamaican management system through the provision of appropriate and necessary technical inputs in the primary sea and air ports, as well as through a targeted training programme for technical and other staff.
The programme will also strengthen the institutional capacity of the Government to develop policy, legislation and regulations to address specific migration concerns. A spokesman at the IOM said the system would take about five months to install.
The data base will enable law enforcement agents in the island to pre-screen passengers arriving on flights or on vessels and cargo aboard ships, before they land at the ports.
A technical team from IOM is expected to arrive in the island later this month to begin inspecting the ports of entry and lay the foundation for the implementation of the new system. Immigration officers will have more information on persons departing and arriving in the island.
