Immigration bosses, Dr. Mansoor, IT Director and other officials observe the system in operation at the airport View photos»

The Government's Information Technology Centre has collaborated with the Immigration Department to deploy the most up to date technology that will assist in upgrading the country's border control systems and in countering the present and evolving threats to national security in all forms.

On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Hon. Baldwin Spencer commissioned an ultra modern Immigration Management and Control System at the V. C. Bird International Airport. The Control System, which represents an investment by the Government of over EC $1.5 Million, enables full page scanning of all machine readable passports as well as fast entry screens for non-machine readable passports.

Prime Minister Spencer, who has responsibility for national security, says he is very pleased with the timely implementation of the Immigration Management and Control System, which is one of a series of measures being implemented by the Government to tighten up control at the airports and seaports.

Speaking during the commissioning of the new system, Prime Minister Spencer said: “The implementation of this Border Control System is indicative of the Government's intention to use the most modern technology at the airport and at all the seaports, both here in Antigua and in Barbuda. Minister Mansoor and his diligent team at the IT Centre, headed by Dr. Patrick Lay, have worked very closely with the Immigration Department to launch a first rate border control system. The Government is strengthening the oversight at our borders and simultaneously modernizing the operations of the Immigration Department”.

Minister of State with responsibility for Information Technology, Hon. Dr. Edmond Mansoor, who joined Prime Minister Spencer during the commissioning of the Border Control System, said that the system ensures real time comparison of the information recorded by Immigration at points of arrival and departure. “Information and scanned images are held electronically against all passport holders on the system. In addition, the system captures electronically and stores the image of all people entering or leaving the island against their unique identifier.”

“In 2007, the Government will continue to deploy the most up to date technology at our borders. Undesirables are not going to get a welcome in Antigua and Barbuda. We are taking steps to implement several layers of security at the ports of entry. There will be no limit on the number of years that the data can be kept and archived. Every time passengers enter or leave Antigua and Barbuda, real time electronic searches will be conducted on the passengers' history, including searching for aliases, alternative passports and images.

Minister Mansoor has also indicated that in 2007, the Government will continue its thrust towards the implementation of a full e-government platform. In this regard, other modules such as passports, visas and work permits will be amalgamated into the Border Control system.

All of the immigration arrival and departure desks at the airport have been retrofitted with new high speed computers. Upgrades are in progress at all other ports of entry. (End.)