The Immigration Department has welcomed forty-three new officers . Photo Credit: Everton Barnes.

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The Immigration Department has welcomed forty-three new officers who have recently completed a rigorous two-week training and orientation program.

The Cabinet made a decision earlier this year to recruit additional Immigration Officers in response to the growing need for efficient processing of arriving passengers and to improve the overall service quality of the department.

The Deputy Chief Immigration Officer, Nigel Emmanuel, explained that the new officers underwent intensive training in various subject areas, which included Immigration Law, Interview Techniques, Ethics, Sea Port Operations, Intelligence, E-Visas, the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling, Court Procedures, Arrest Procedures, Customer Service and Customs Procedures.

With Antigua and Barbuda hosting two major international events, the SIDS4 and ICC Cricket T-20 World Cup, within a few days of each other, the role of Immigration Officers has become more significant than ever.

As the first and often the last point of contact for visitors, the way they interact with them is crucial to the international reputation of Antigua and Barbuda.

The new officers will play a vital role in ensuring that the country’s immigration services are of the highest standard and provide a positive experience for all visitors.