Deputy Chief Immigration Officer George Vyphuis is confident that the Immigration Department will make Guyana proud as the country prepares to host the Super 8 matches of Cricket World Cup in a matter of weeks.
To ensure the ease of travel for persons visiting the region at tournament time, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) agreed to treat the nine host venues as a single domestic space from January 15 to May 15 2007.
Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts-Nevis, St Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda make up the single domestic space for the period of the games and Dominica has also been included.
On the local side, Vyphuis said all of the country’s international ports are under control and the immigration department is doing all that is necessary to abide by the requirements of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
He said so far there have been no hiccups in the system but acknowledged that it would take some time before every aspect is fully implemented and operational.
He said the immigration department has the responsibility of ensuring that the visitor’s bands are placed on the wrists of persons who traverse the single domestic space.
Vyphuis added that systems are already in place to deal with past offenders of immigration who were previously refused entry into some Caribbean countries and who may seek to take advantage of this opportunity.
He said the immigration department has continuously been training staff jointly with the customs administration and so he is confident that the immigration department has prepared itself adequately for the event.
The creation of the temporary single domestic space will also create a supplementary security force of 400 men and women who will move into the various territories when CWC games are being held.
During this period too Caricom nationals travelling within the ten countries would not have to have their passports stamped at points of entry but they would be required to travel with their passports for identification purposes as well as to respond to any immigration queries that might arise.
Persons coming from outside the ten countries would be required to clear their first port of entry after which they would be considered domestic travellers for subsequent matches in the other host venues.
Late last year, Chair of the ad hoc sub-committee of Caricom ministers of national security and law enforcement on security matters pertaining to the CWC 2007 Mia Mottley said that through a common Caricom visa and through the advance passenger information submit system, vessels, whether maritime or aircraft, would be required to tender their passengers’ manifestos before their arrival for vetting of passengers against the names of persons on the established international and regional data base to make determinations as to persons who would be precluded from entry.
The Barbadian deputy prime minister had confirmed too that Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) and Jamaica would issue the visas outside the region. Jamaica and its consulates would issue in Miami, New York and Toronto; T&T would issue at its High Commission in New Delhi, India and would be making a facility available at its consulate in Sydney, Australia; and Barbados would issue at its High Commission in London. The issuance of these visas began on December 15, 2006 and they cost US$100. Each of the host venues, including Dominica, also has the capacity to issue visas from January 2007.
Those exempted from requiring visas include all Caricom nationals with the exception of Haiti, which still has to be processed; all persons who have status within Caricom states as permanent residents, immigrant status, work permit, student or visitor’s visas, all provided before January 15, 2007; and all citizens of Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Spain, the Netherlands, the USA and the UK and their dependent territories, associates states and departments; and Caricom associate members.
In terms of test playing nations, visitors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand and Zimbabwe would require visas.
This effort by the region had received applause from ICC legal counsel Derek Jones. “This should alleviate the snags which tourists sometimes experience as they traverse Caribbean countries which usually have separate and distinct immigration regulations,” Jones was quoted in an ICC official statement as saying.
“CWC is very pleased that the Caricom Special Visa has come to fruition and will continue to liaise with and offer any cooperation necessary to Caricom and regional governments to ensure that this mechanism functions as intended,” he added.
The issuance of a common visa is part of a larger regional strategy for ensuring a safe and secure environment for the hosting of CWC 2007. (Heppilena Ferguson)
