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Fingerprinting 'not mandatory'
Minister of State with responsibility for Labour and Immigration, Senator Arni Walters. (FP)
Published on: 9/26/2009.
by RICKY JORDAN
FINGERPRINTING AT the Grantley Adams International Airport is not mandatory, says Government.
Reacting to yesterday's Press conference chaired by Deputy Opposition Leader and former Attorney General Dale Marshall, Minister of State with responsibility for Labour and Immigration Arni Walters confirmed that travellers, including Barbadians, were being fingerprinted but they were not obligated to have it done.
"As far as I know, it is not mandatory. This is a pilot scheme aimed at enhancing our border security. Border control is an important element of any nation," Senator Walters told the SATURDAY SUN from his office yesterday evening.
He revealed there had been recent incidents involving forged documents at the airport, and it was therefore necessary to step up surveillance of travellers entering and leaving the country.
Walters also stressed that the fingerprinting, which started a few days ago, would not have been undertaken without Government having the legislative authority to do it. He also noted it was possible, using directions under the Immigration Act, to establish fingerprinting procedures at the ports of entry without having to seek legislative approval from Parliament.
"This is a matter that would have been put in place arising out of the last Government's attempt to deal with immigration issues. It has just taken time to get the pilot going," he added.
The minister emphasised that travellers were "being asked if they would wish to participate" in the fingerprinting process.
Noting that such procedures were already mandatory in the United States and parts of Europe, Walters said Barbados and the Caribbean had to be conscious of the same kinds of border security risks, especially since this country accommodated international airlines and heavy cruiseliner traffic.
"Such risks have been here since the 1990s, and ever so often you have to look again at the surveillance of people coming into our airport . . . . We have to improve on the way we do business," the minister stated.
31 comment found!
AMAZING : 9/27/2009
Invasion of privacy...fingerprinting??? what nonsense i'm reading.I'm a Registered Nurse in the US(Brooklyn) and guess what....we are fingerprinted every day we work..we sign in and out with our forefinger. Get with it !!! Hospital protecting their economical interest and Barbados proctecting their borders from criminals.
: 9/27/2009
Fingerprinting is a good idea.There's absolutely nothing wrong with having homeland security devices out our airport and other ports of entry. People look at Barbados and think that we are small fry. People complain and so on, but when they travel to other nations its a different ball game.
Fingerprints should be mandatory : 9/27/2009
Imo,No law abiding person would be concerned if their fingerprints are taken. I must admit however the Fingerprinting system should exempt Barbados citizens & Permanent residents because there information should already be collected & visitors should be fingerprinted on entry mainly while those being deported or removed from Barbados should be fingerprinted upon exit to ensure the validity of the new immigration system.
Finger Food : 9/26/2009
Stop it! Foolishness! My family and I have visited your country 35 times since 1976 -- IT'S OVER!
US Airport Fingerprinting? : 9/26/2009
Yes anon, I applied for a USA visa in 2005 and was fingerprinted at the Embassy here in Barbados. When I arrive at miami Airport I was again fingerprinted there. I had no choice. What I find so disturbing about all this is that Barbadians had no warning that fingerprinting at our Airport was being introduced, and as this is a very serious invasion of our privacy and our human rights, I feel very offended. I think that the Government should actually apologise to everyone for sneeking this on us without prior consultation. We are not all criminals or up to no good to have our finger print on file all over the place.
BAD TASTE : 9/26/2009
I WILL NOT RETURN TO BARBADOS.
Give them the finger(print) : 9/26/2009
Coming from Canada to Barbados, my passport does not include fingerprint data, and I do not remember being finger-printed in Canada; as I originated in Barbados, to what will my print be compared? The departing one compared to my arrival one? And what will that prove? Will it be shared with an international data base to prove that I'm not wanted in some country where I've never been, for not doing something that I never did? It sounds like a civil service make work project that will prove nothing, except that figer-printing can be done. WOW! A good record of DNA is next.
: 9/26/2009
Rubbish we don't have to be fingerprint going to the us. bajan in canada
Reply To Baajn In Arizona : 9/26/2009
Have you ever heard of Civil Rights/Liberties and the expectation of privacy that each and every person to which every person is entitled? State one case where fingerprinting should be mandatory! I have traveled into and out of the USA to many caribbean countries, as well as many US States and as recently as April of this year, I was home and my family nor I were fingerprinted. I cannot recall being fingerprinted upon arrival at any USA point of entry, let alone upon departure. You should be aware that when applying for a passport, one's fingerprints must be submitted to the Passport Authority, and become a matter of record and can be obtained via a request to the State Department. If this present administration does not pay careful attention to these somewhat drastic measures, their rule will be short lived! The level of Terrorism that exists in the USA calls for vigilant security measures; however Barbados does not have that level of terrorism, if any to call for such drastic measures. If this continues, Barbados will see a decline in tourist arrivals, not just Internationally but as well as domestic. The BLP and the learned people of Barbados should demand an end to this madness!
: 9/26/2009
I am really tired of this Government's knee jerk reaction to thing and plunging head long into activities without clearly thinking them through. How many thousands of finger prints will be collected and do they have the systems in place to check these prints against an existing data base. In no time they will have millions of prints on file from all over the world. If they want to screen they vicitors tell them they need a visa to come and to get a visa you need to be finger printed. Give the visitor the choice. As for people leaving. Why would the average Bajan need to provide his prints??????
: 9/26/2009
I did not commit a crime I will not provide a finger print. I have a Canadian passport which says I am not a criminal and I can travel. As a canadian citizen I will not provide a foreign government with my finger print. Hence I will not be travelling to Barbados.
: 9/26/2009
Don't know about you Mr Bajan in Arizona but here in Canada our finger print is not on our passport and I am not about to provide in Barbados and if it is required I will not be travelling to Barbados
Fingerprinting : 9/26/2009
Anon, To get a US Visa, you have to get your fingerprints taken.
What will be ask of, next time ? : 9/26/2009
Yeh, go along with that, be a sheep and follow the pack. What next ? Ask yourself, what next ? A REAL BAJAN IN ARIZONA.
Fingerprinting : 9/26/2009
I do understand the need for finger printing visitors, but I do not see the need for having Barbadian citizens finger printed. Yes we have it here in the USA, but American cits are not fingerprinted when leaving or arriving in the USA, only visitors are subjected to this, which I do admit is a good practice. But to finger print your own Citizens is pure rubbish.
Fingerprinting not manditory : 9/26/2009
Please stop making life and travel much harder for law abiding people. I spent a long career in law-enforcement and we all know that the people seeking to harm us know their trade. Terroris will come into the Island at night in fast boats and bring along their supplies. Mr. Walters what are you doing about this and who will be fingerprinting them?? I know that you must do things publicly to let the public think that you are doing things to protect them. You also need to ferit out the corrupt officials who would look the other way for a fee. Criminal intellengence is what we need to deal with these problems, not subjecting innocent people to unnecessary stress to create the elusion that you are security savy.
THIS SHOULD BE MANDATORY : 9/26/2009
KEEP BARBADOS SAFE WHEN PEOPLE COME TO THE USA EVEN IF THEY ARE A US RESIDENT THE HAVE TO BE FINGERPRINTED WHAT IS WRONG WITH BAJAN THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT EVERYTHING AND WHEN SOME THING HAPPEN THEN THEY BAWLING AND BREAKING DOWN NOBODY WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO THEY FRIEND OR FAMILY BUT THINK ABOUT 9.11 IN THE USA THAT SHOULD BE THE PERFECT EXAMPLE WHY THEY SHOULD BE HAPPY TO KEEP BARBADOS SAFE AS ALWAYS
FINGER PRINTING : 9/26/2009
I believe it should be Mandatory we should know eho is coming to our island and who is passing through. It is now up to the Government to put propper measures in place, actually we should be taking photos as well.
This Should be Mandatory : 9/26/2009
Please explain to me how this is an invasion of privacy. The fingerprints should have 2 uses: 1) The fingerprints should be checked against a database of criminals being pursued; 2) The fingerprints should be compared against the fingerprints in the electronic information of the passport.....this will ensure that the passport was not tampered with and that it actually belongs to the person presenting the passport. This will help to further secure our borders.
Fingerprinting 'Not Mandatory' : 9/26/2009
I arrived at GAIA on Wednesday and departed on Tuesday. I was fingerprinted on both days and was not told of an option. If Senator Walters says that this new practice is not mandatory, he has not communicated this to the staff at the airport.
Make it mandatory : 9/26/2009
I agree with an earlier poster....make fingerprinting mandatory for all except citizens of Barbados who enter our borders. What took so long...with all the forgery and other illegal activities that go on at ports of entry, i dont see what the outcry is all about. Are we the only country who fingerprintt at points of entry...i doubt...but we are certainly the only one that claims its voluntary. I'm actually suprised that Barbados has this technology up and running already...i figured we had another 5yrs or so. So get the kinks out and lets proceed to battle in this seemingly neverending fight against the foes of the world.
What a Mess! : 9/26/2009
Unless the DLP Government can show just cause, that fingerprinting of incoming and outgoing passengers is warranted, then this can be considered invading the persons' privacy and civil liberties. In addition, fully posted signs should be posted and all airlines flying into and out of Barbados should be given advance notification to advise their passengers that they are subject to fingerprinting upon arrival. If as Arnie Walters stated, it is not mandatory, then why are the Immigration officers not advising passengers of this and why are their no notices posted that their is a fingerprinting procedure in place and the passengers may choose to have their prints taken or decline. How long will it take before a lawsuit is filed against The Government of Barbados for violation of civil liberties and invasion of privacy? If this act continues, very soon the same tourists will by-pass Barbados for other more friendly vacation countries and by the same token, Bajans will not want to return for vacation only to be stressed out upon arrival in their country of birth. In addition, Bajans will not waste their money travelling outside of Barbados and other Caricom residents will avoid Barbados. The Government needs to stop this unconsitutional act. Mia Mottley deserves much credit for bringing this information to the public. It must be stopped before the Government ruins an already declining tourist economy.
US Airport Fingerprinting? : 9/26/2009
this is news to me...i have never been fingerprinted at any US airport, what are they talking about?
Fingerprinting not mandatory : 9/26/2009
Why will the Barbados Government asked travellers if they would wish to participate in the fingerprinting process. Canada or the USA will never asked a visitore if he she wanted to be fingerprinteed,(it the law you have to do it) if I am a crook am I going to say yes
FINGER PRINTING SHOULD BE MANDATORY : 9/26/2009
Minister Walters, the finger printing should be mandatory end of story. We need to protect our BORDERS and keep the CRIMINAL ELEMENT out of Barbados. We need to stop the pussyfooting and do what we have to do to make Barbados a safer place for its Citizens and Visitors. It s a sad day in Barbados when members of the opposition can see Finger Printing as violating the rights of Citizens and Visitors. We ae living in a very dangerious world. WE as a Nation need to be proactive.And we should also remember that any country that has a USA EMBASSY is a target for terrorrist.
A sad day : 9/26/2009
I am DISGUSTED at this new development. Fingerprinting travelers and invoking the US and Europe as examples of where this is happening is preposterous! Both the US and Europe have been victims of terrorist activity. Therefore, as much as civil liberties are being tampered with, there is some reasonable justification that their citizens and visitors can draw on in order to permit the invasive practice. Barbados? A terrorist target? I think not. When visitors go to the US and Europe, they accept that this is what has to happen. They make the decision whether to go there or not. Losing visitors' money will not hurt the US or Europe in the way that it will hurt Barbados. Tourists have a choice in our case as well. Enter an island where they will be fingerprinted and a foreign government has their fingerprints on file, or go to a neighbouring island that offers basically the same tourist package, but refrains from invading their privacy. I for one would choose the other island. The government is taking a dangerous gamble with this latest unannounced action. Don't invoke the US and Europe government...call it what it is. Plain old destructive divisive xenophobia.
CRAZY CRAZY IDEA : 9/26/2009
Fingerprinting every citizen and visitor to our shores is quite crazy,before when anyyone travel,he or she have to go through a process to please immigration on their legal status for the purpose of travelling to or from their destination,if the immigration officers and other security personnel at that port of destination or arrival do their job in a professional manner then we will minimise the need for this crazy idea.Imagine three planes arrive at our airport the same time or three passengers ships arrive at the port with all the man power and the slow process, it will take days to clear everyone that arrive and I will bet you many percentage of all the visitors will not return to Barbados because of this procedure.
: 9/26/2009
this is such noesence,when one analyse the statement made by senator Armi Walters,one has to ask one's self if this is being done in the interest of Barbadians or Americans,I am looking at it this way,America see it self as the castle and it's castle walls are the caribbean islands so hence it's attude towards us.Just look at how people entering barbados at the marina and the way they are treated no checks at time of docking no officals at that place.Which means you can come in to bim do what you like no one care.Some one may have told the Americans that we wil protect them at all cost hence the finger printing.what we need to know is, where did the money come from for the finger printing , because they have no money to put a goverment office at the marina.i have not a problem with finger printing people wanting to enter the U.S that is they choice,how about people who have never been to the U.S and don't to go there why should they have they finger prints given to the Americans or put on an American data base.the minister need to tell us the plain truth and stop hiding behinding statements they are doing it in Europe because the countries that are doing it has strict controls on it
finger printing : 9/26/2009
I arrived on Thursday and was NOT told I had an option. There is no sign that says you have an option.
You lie! Travelers are not being asked : 9/26/2009
Travelers are not being asked if they are willing to be fingerprinted. I know from personal experience. Unless, of course, the practice is discriminatory which would not surprise me in Barbados. This Government wants to be like the US. Legal residents require student visas for their legally resident children, now fingerprinting at the airport; what's next.
Fingerprints at Airport : 9/26/2009
He is not telling the truth or has been misinformed , no one is "being ask " if they want to give fingerprints instead they are being told that they "have to " there is a difference .As a visitor to Barbados I have not committed any crime nor do I plan to , neither am I a suspect in any crime investigations hence I see no reason to give my fingerprints to the police in Barbados ,the absence of this until now was on of the reasons I choose to come to this country over the US .
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