THE GOVERNMENT has begun to phase out the old non-machine readable passports to coincide with the implementation of a new immigration policy in May, and in preparation for a United States-type biometric identification system by 2006.
Gilbert Scott, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, told The Gleaner yesterday that the Ministry has launched a programme to phase out the old blue-covered passports.
"Key fields in the old passport will be entered into the database and that will allow us to capture essential information we want," he said.
He said persons will be invited to visit the Immigration Department and get the new maroon machine-readable passport. Mr. Scott noted that the Ministry is expecting all Jamaicans to have their new passports within the next 18 months.
