Authorities get tough on persons entering Barbados without visas

TIMES INT'L

The Barbados Immigration and Passport Department said an upsurge in the number of people seeking to enter the country without the necessary entry visa has forced it to implement a zero-tolerance approach to the problem.

The department has written to airlines and other agencies advising them of its decision. In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), the chief immigration officer said that there has been a continuing effort at fostering harmonious relations with various agencies by the department’s facilitation of passengers who arrive in the country without the necessary documentation.

However, the immigration, in recent times, there has been “an unacceptable increase” in the number of passengers allowed to enter the country without the required visa and documentation.

“Given this upsurge, it is the decision of the department to withdraw its facilitation. Effective March 01, 2011, persons travelling to Barbados without the required entry visa will not be considered for entry,” Earl Whittaker, who signed on for the chief immigration officer, said.

It was not immediately clear how many people have been seeking to enter Barbados without a visa, or how many people have been turned away since March 1.

“It is worth to note that an entry visa allows travel to Barbados for nationals of countries where a visa waiver agreement is not in place,” the immigration department said.

“Please note that these persons still require an entry visa, even though they may hold legal residence in another country,” it added.

Nationals of 78 countries require a visa to enter Barbados. The Immigration and Passport Department said that a person who is desirous of travelling to Barbados and requires a visa must first submit an application for processing, and be granted permission to travel to Barbados prior to booking and confirmation of travel.

“This includes persons who are in-transit though Barbados and do not have confirmed bookings out of Barbados on the same day,” the department said.

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