By Omar Anderson, Gleaner Writer
Gilbert Scott, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security. - Ricardo Makyn / Staff Photographer
A NEW automated US$2 million (J$120 miilion) immigration and control system is to be implemented at the island's two major airports in May. This is a precursor to the biometric system, being pushed by the United States, where fingerprints and other personal information will be scanned inside machine-readable passports.
The new automated immigration system is expected to counter terrorist threats and reduce the number of persons leaving the island on forged travel documents.
The information captured will also serve as a source of intelligence for regional and international law enforcement organisations.
Gilbert Scott, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, told The Gleaner yesterday that the new systems are geared at minimising security threats to the island.
AWAITING FINAL DETAILS
Cabinet has approved the initiative in principle, but awaits final details on how it will operate before it signs off on it, Mr. Scott said.
Mr. Scott said training for what he described as the 'enhanced Border Control Initiative' has ended, and that equipment for the new system has been sourced.
"We have to be on the lookout for potential terrorists and this control system will allow us to determine if persons who are of local, regional and international interests, are seeking to exploit our sovereign space," Scott said yesterday.
Using machine readable passports, which Jamaica is already issuing, the system will monitor individual travel patterns and keep check on the authencity of documents. But fingerprinting is not an immediate requirement.
For persons travelling on their drivers' licences, the information from those documents will be inputted manually.
The immigration equipment to be installed at both Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston and Sangster Interna-tional Airport, Montego Bay, will electronically record and store details of the travel documents of arriving and depar-ting passengers.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary said other new systems will be implemented to bolster national security, as the Government reviews its ability to thwart serious threats to the island.
These include the implementing of a biometric identification system which will verify travellers' identities and determine whether they conform with local immigration policies.
"I figure that in another two years, you could see biometric identification as part of our security requirements," Mr. Scott said, yesterday, noting that the government has already put to tender the acquisition of an Automated Fingerprinting Identification System (AFIS) to use in the process.
"So once we have that technology it will be a logical step to incorporate biometric data in our passports," Mr. Scott said, noting that the Ministry has already been reviewing several of the responses to its tender.
"By increasing the surveillance of people, it is one way of dealing with the illegal trade in drugs, weapons, and money," Mr. Scott said.
On January 5, the United States introduced at its airports and seaports, a 'US-VISIT' system which uses scanning equipment to collect 'biometric identifiers', such as fingerprints, in an inkless process, along with a digital photograph of each visitor.
Together with the standard information gathered from visitors about their identity and travel, the new programme verifies each visitor's identity and compliance with visa and immigration policies.
Mr. Scott said that the U.S. State Department has contributed US$2 million to help purchase equipment and provide training for immigration officers here. Jamaica, he said, would contribute only between $2 million and $3 million to the initiative.
