Senior immigration and customs officials from across the Commonwealth Caribbean are currently meeting in Antigua and Barbuda for the 29th Session of Chiefs of Immigration and Comptrollers of Customs, with border security, regional cooperation, and the free movement of people emerging as key priorities on the agenda.

The high-level gathering has brought together delegates from across the region to examine growing security threats, evolving geopolitical pressures, and the need for stronger coordination between border agencies.

Delivering welcome remarks at the opening ceremony, Antigua and Barbuda’s Comptroller of Customs, David Martin, stressed the importance of regional collaboration amid rapidly changing global conditions.

“In today’s rapidly changing global environment, Customs and Immigration Administrations must continue to work together to address emerging challenges, while promoting safe, secure and efficient trade and travel,” Martin stated.

Chief Immigration Officer Katrina Yearwood said Antigua and Barbuda was an ideal host for the meeting given its strategic role as a major Caribbean transit hub.

“I am happy that we are meeting here as we are discussing a plethora of immigration and border security issues and Antigua and Barbuda is the leading Caribbean hub,” Yearwood said.

“You need to come to St. John’s to get to at least 25 countries in the Caribbean,” she added, while describing Antigua and Barbuda as “not just the main hub, but also the shield.”

29th Meeting of the CARICOM Standing Committee of Chiefs of Immigration and Comptrollers of Customs

Chair of the Customs Committee, Estella Bailey Leslie, who serves as Comptroller of the Belize Customs and Excise Department, said the meeting’s theme — “Advancing Free Movement, Strengthening Security and Harmonizing Border Governance” — reflects the balancing act facing Caribbean nations.

“The overarching theme before us is not aspirational. It is operational,” Bailey Leslie stated.

“It requires us to reconcile two non-negotiable mandates: facilitating the legitimate flow of people and trade, while maintaining uncompromising vigilance against transnational threats.”

Chair of the Immigration Committee, Charles Thompson of Montserrat, also warned that Caribbean states remain vulnerable to shifting global realities and geopolitical tensions beyond their control.

“We recognize that the environment in which we are operating has changed and continues to change,” Thompson observed.

“As small states we are vulnerable and susceptible to these events, and the economic, social and political repercussions.”

Representing CARICOM IMPACS, Earl Harris highlighted the organisation’s commitment to strengthening regional border management systems and improving cooperation among member states.

“Our strategic focus at CARICOM IMPACS is to be of service to our Member States in delivering a Caribbean Region that is safe, secure, and stable where our people can move freely, legitimate trade is hassle free, and our communities are protected from transnational organized criminal threats,” Harris stated.

He emphasized that combating regional security threats requires collective responsibility and close coordination among Caribbean nations.

The three-day meeting is expected to focus heavily on border governance, migration management, customs enforcement, intelligence sharing, and strategies to combat transnational organized crime across the region.