Focus on ‘unscrupulous passengers’ in border clampdown
(CNS): The UK has dispatched two of its senior officers from the Border Force agency to the Cayman Islands on a scoping mission to identify areas where Britain can help local operations. Local home affairs officials noted the need to balance the focus on “unscrupulous passengers” while allowing genuine tourists smooth passage. The UK security experts will be discussing “profiling and targeting procedures” to deal with “suspect passengers”, according to a release. It said that passenger flows through the airport and identification of suspect cargo is also likely to be discussed, though the British officers appear to have their eyes on the risk in Cayman of terrorism.
Sam Bullimore, Deputy Director of the Border Force Intelligence Directorate, and Timothy Coward, National Container Targeting and Risk Manager, will be here for a week, having arrived last Friday. Officials said their visit was arranged by the offices of the governor and deputy governor “to identify areas where training and policy collaboration with the UK can enhance the effectiveness of operations in the Cayman Islands”.
Governor Helen Kilpatrick said that while Cayman is one of the safest places in the Caribbean region we cannot be complacent.
“Our Customs and Immigration Officers play a vital role in stopping the risks we encounter from external organised crime and terrorism. At the same time it is important that we provide a first class, welcoming experience to visitors to Cayman and that begins at our air and sea ports. I am delighted that Border Force will be working with our officers to ensure that we maintain modern, appropriate and cost-effective border controls,” she said.
Finance Minister Marco Archer, who is responsible for the customs department and collecting revenues, said he appreciated the opportunity for better enforcement of the borders and enhancing customs officers’ skills and knowledge.
While the UK border agents may have their eyes on global terrorists, Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson spoke about the need to streamline the processing of passengers at the airport as well as improving fraud detection and something that is critical to Cayman — the detection of firearms and drugs.
Acting Chief Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs Kathryn Dispel Powell said that as Cayman enters the high season for tourist arrivals, it is important that immigration officers are trained in the latest techniques “so that we only focus our attention on unscrupulous passengers and allow genuine tourists smooth passage through our controls”.
Category: Local News
Did I read correctly that the gentlemen are named “Bullimore and Coward”? Nothing personal, guys, but your names have lightened my day, having put up with all the bigotry and do-doo which are posted on this website over the past year. Well timed in the season to be jolly, Tra la la etc!
Perhaps the UK resources would be better deployed at home base?
What about investigations into people who acquire cayman status by virtue of “marriages of convenience”? How does one go about reporting/proving that? Another question, albeit totally off-topic, does anyone know if the OCC has access to the police reporting system? What I mean by that is, if one were to make a report to the police or 911, would anyone from the OCC be able to access that report? Whether or not any arrests/charges have been made?
It would be good if we could train customs and immigration officers not to chew gum while on duty! Also, please ensure that this preferential treatment to friends, family and politicians or high ranking civil servants will not be tolerated. It is just infuriating when you stand in line for 45 minutes to declare your $ 200 you went over the limit while other drag 6 or more suitcase through with no shame.
I know there are some customs and immigration officers who are very professional and trying their hardest to do the right thing, but unfortunately, the ones who have a completely unprofessional behavior are outshining everyone else
Just read the latest complaint on Trip Advisor about airport customs efficiency. “Airport customs… job action or understaffed?”
I think if customs are going to open every other persons bag then they need a lot more customs officers.
Just have a separate immigration and customs line for Jamaicans…will speed the process and cut waiting times.
Last week the red channel was closed, the line was a mile long and only one cashier on duty who took forever to issue a receipt. When the line was gone there was still a line for the cashier, while the other officers sat around playing/talking on their phones, when their are signs everywhere that cellular phone use is prohibited in the customs hall Very inefficient, but just try to complain, it gets you nowhere fast.
The unscrupulous passengers are not tourists but locals.
Somewhat ironic when one reads of the the criminals, including terrorists, murderers and rapists who freely enter the UK.undetected. On many occasions chronic shortages of Border Force staff at our major airports allow all these people into Britain without proper checks.
Oh right, and that never happens in Cayman? Drugs and guns leaking through sea borders, the airport is just a fraction of what goes on here…and if the terrorists ever thought to have a go at the worlds 5th largest financial center they would come in the same way…although I admit that it would not be as headline grabbing as London or Frankfurt…
Border security for an Island nation is a joke. What do immigration and customs do with the boats, that is 100% the police. Customs is all about revenue collection. God knows what immigration do other than make sure you have a work permit in your passport. Illegals everywhere.
A fantastic decision by the government to invite border force officials here. I really like the joined up approach between the Governors Office Ministers and the Civil service. Maybe the FCO is not out to get us after all.
I am so impressed with the tremendous achievement of the government over the pass 3.5 years.
Ummm- they were invited by the governor and deputy governor, not the government. Or in other words, the D local representative of the FCO. Maybe they are out to get us! Either way, nothing to do with what government asked for or wanted.
The Cayman Islands Airport is in dire need of clean up. Tourists have just spent an amazing week experiencing all the wonders the Cayman Islands have to offer only to have their private possessions openly emptied out on a plastic table in public by an $8 an hour privately-contracted untrained “TSA” wannabe from India. Can you imagine whats actually coming/going through our borders?
They are actually getting $4.50/hr.
However under our they must have some special skill set otherwise these jobs could be filled by some of the Caymanian population that is currently looking for work…
Why would any sensible Caymanian be silly enough to apply for a $4.50 an hour job when welfare pays $10 per hour?
Pay for low paid jobs too low. Pay for welfare too high.
Should require those on welfare to look for a job and welfare stops after certain time.
Did you have a reason (other than racism) for mentioning India?
Do the Border Force representative realize just how many “unscrupulous” persons are coming here, staying here, passing through our incompetent systems to gain per,anent rights, gaining British passports and then moving to the UK?
We need to do a lot more than simply deal with bad-egg tourists.
Nobody’s done that. It’s easier to immigrate directly to the UK than to buy property and jump through all of the requalification hoops required over 15yrs to gain Cayman Status. Get over yourselves.
Many people have done that including in the wake of the Cabinet status grants when families came here from Jamaica and shortly after all left for the UK.
Popular myth
Those who come here, acquire status are the people who are moving to the U.K. It isn’t easy for them to get there from there island home, so they hop on the Cayman bus, get a U.K. Passport and move on.
Newsflash: there is no “Cayman bus”. Our Immigration dept is a glacial pergatory of unfulfilled dreams. It is well publicized that there has been no forward movement in over 800 PR applications in last few years. Only xenophobic Rooster-calling morons would believe that it is “easy” to then requalify for BOTC Naturalisation, and then requalify a third time for board approved Status after over 15 years (if you’re patient, lucky, and can scrounge endorsements from the correct born-Caymanians with sway). It ain’t no cakewalk, and certainly not an express lane to “salvation” in the U.K. Social Services landscape.