29th Meeting of the CARICOM Standing Committee of Chiefs of Immigration and Comptrollers of Customs
Antigua and Barbuda’s Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene is calling for sweeping changes to regional border security, warning Caribbean nations that fragmented systems and outdated approaches are no longer enough to combat modern transnational threats.
Speaking at the 29th Meeting of the CARICOM Standing Committee of Chiefs of Immigration and Comptrollers of Customs at the Royalton Antigua, Greene unveiled what he described as an “implementable roadmap” designed to transform how Caribbean states secure their borders while facilitating safer regional movement.
Addressing immigration and customs leaders from across the region, Greene stressed that the Caribbean could no longer afford to operate with disconnected border systems as criminal networks become increasingly sophisticated.
“This is not a lowly politician’s dream; it is an implementable roadmap,” Greene declared as he urged regional leaders to champion the proposals within their respective governments.
At the center of the proposal is a six-point strategy aimed at tightening intelligence sharing, improving passenger screening, modernizing customs operations and introducing a biometric regional travel system.
Among the most ambitious proposals is the creation of a “CariPass” — a single digital travel credential linked to biometric data that would allow seamless movement among participating Caribbean states after travelers pass strict background checks against regional and international watchlists.
Greene also proposed the establishment of Joint Border Intelligence Units at major ports across the region, where immigration, customs and police officers from different Caribbean territories would work side by side using shared intelligence systems to track criminal activity and security threats in real time.
The foreign affairs minister further warned that CARICOM states remain vulnerable because of inconsistent passenger screening systems and weak intelligence coordination.
He pointed to the need for Passenger Information Units capable of analyzing Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) data before travelers arrive in the region — similar to systems already used in countries such as the United Kingdom to detect terrorism, trafficking, firearms smuggling and organized crime threats.
Greene additionally called for a permanent Regional Border Governance Council that would meet quarterly to review threat assessments, monitor compliance and coordinate policy responses across member states.
He also urged countries lagging behind to urgently enact CARICOM’s Model API/PNR legislation, warning that modern border protection cannot function effectively without modern legal authority to collect and securely share passenger intelligence data.
Should have done that before amnesty lol, better late than never, mark of the beast soon, and chip in our body but the world goes round and round 😉