Is attention paid to training Immigration, Customs Officers?

Fri, Jun 1. 2012

Editor: As a taxi driver who operates from the ET Joshua airport, airport director Mrs Best always encourages and insists that we attend workshops which are put on by the Ministry of Tourism. These workshops I find to be interesting. The emphasis is on the training we gather from the workshops and for that I’m applauding Mrs Best.{{more}}

Persons working in the tourism industry directly and indirectly should be trained, but do the authorities pay any attention to departments like Immigration and Customs? I ask this question because oftentimes we hear complaints from visitors when they exit the customs area. Their complaints about Immigration are: “Are these immigration workers trained and by whom?” Is the behaviour of the immigration officers any reflection on the Chief Immigration Officer Mr Hamilton?

Visitors make complaints about the immigration officers’ attitude towards them. Why do immigration officers profile visitors based on assumptions? Is it a part of their training? Is it because the immigration officers feel intimidated by police officers who are placed to watch them? Is it fair for immigration officers to assume, based on one’s hair style, that he or she is involved in drug trafficking?

Why are persons who visit from St Lucia assumed to be involved in money laundering? These customs and immigration officers need to be trained, and when I say need to be trained, I mean properly trained.

Madam Editor, I took my complaint to the Chief Immigration Officer and he gave me a negative response. “Leave immigration to do their job,” was the response from Mr Hamilton, the Chief Immigration Officer. When I questioned the Commissioner of Police about the complaints of visitors, he tells me the police know what they are looking for.

Commissioner Miller and the Chief Immigration Officer Mr. Hamilton always ask the public for support, but are these men serious? Is this the type of attitude I should get from these gentlemen? I don’t think so; SVG belongs to all of us.

Former Minister of Tourism, Saboto Caesar, tried his best, leaving a good foundation for the sitting minister, Hon Cecil McKie. Should we allow persons who appear not to be trained to destroy our tourism product? It’s unfair that taxi drivers, hotel workers and the tourism authority, being headed by Glen Beache, are still trying their best, but a few persons are still bent on destroying our tourism product.

Immigration and customs officers should display a high level of impartiality doing their jobs. I’m hoping that the Minister of Tourism Ces McKie looks into my complaint and attends to it before it destroys our tourism product.

Immigration and customs officers should stop profiling visitors, and assuming that everyone that enters our country is involved with money laundering and drug trafficking.

Are these men, Commissioner Miller and Mr Hamilton, reflecting behaviour that you condone? I’m hoping the Prime Minister looks into my complaint.

Kingsley DeFreitas