Latest update April 7th, 2025 12:08 AM
Regional Immigration Officers to undergo standardized training
…will be expected to act in harmony
The Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD) and Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding to commence the process of providing standardised training to the regions’ Immigration officials.
Signing were Executive Director of IMPACS, Lynne Anne Williams, and Executive Director of CARICAD, Jennifer Astaphan, at the closing of the second meeting of the Caricom Secretary-General and Heads of Community institutions.
Williams said that CARICAD’S agreement to partner with IMPACS to provide standardised training to Immigration Officers across the region could not have come at a more opportune time.
“Together, both institutions will seek to develop a training programme that will satisfy both the individual’s need for career advancement as well as the overall advancement of the goals and objectives of the region,” Williams vowed.
This undertaking is intended to achieve harmonization training among Caricom Member States which will all go well for the individual single domestic state, she added.
She said that well-trained officers will be proficient in decision making, contributing to the security of the region and also reducing any public dissatisfaction with the Immigration services in the region.
Included will be design of curriculum and courses, determination of appropriate delivery methods and comprehensive evaluation to assess, among other things, whether the learning is transferred to the work place.
This joint undertaking is intended to achieve harmonization of and cost-sharing for training among CARICOM member states (and funded on the part of IMPACS by CARICOM Member States), something that will augur well for a Single Domestic Space.
Williams noted that as a community, “we must pool our resources, build on our collective strengths and seek to eliminate our weaknesses.
“As much as it is practicable we must strive towards harmonization and standardization of our policies, practices and procedures across the region.”
According to her, in an ever increasing global society more and more people are crossing international borders for tourism, trade, employment and, unfortunately, in the commission of transnational crime.
Williams said the institution’s approaches to the increase in both legal and illegal migration become more significant.
Immigration Officers need to be suitably equipped to detect and deter those who may pose a threat to our country and region, she said.
Regional security initiatives to combat these threats must of necessity be supported by the continuous development of professional competencies in our border security agencies.
One non-training intervention designed to achieve the balance between security and facilitation is the soon to be introduced Travel Card (CARIPASS) which would allow trusted travelers to admit themselves through automatic gates without interacting with an Immigration official.
Jennifer Astaphan noted that if resources are pooled much more can be achieved than if they move continuously as individual institutions.
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