These measures require persons entering the US to submit to fingerprint scans and having their photographs taken.
Visiting the Nassau International Airport with other embassy officials on Monday, US Charge d’Affaires Robert Witajewski explained that Bahamians traveling to the United States from Nassau or Grand Bahama International airports would not be photographed or fingerprinted as part of US entry procedures.
Mr. Witajewski pointed out that existing pre-clearance screening facilities in those two airports are expected to provide adequate passenger identification.
However, Bahamians traveling to the United States from other locations in the country would be fingerprinted and photographed upon arrival in that country.
According to embassy officials, the new US-Visit programme is designed to enhance the security of US citizens and visitors, expedite legitimate travel and trade and ensure the integrity of the immigration system.
Mr. Witajewski said the enhanced procedures are required to address a number of security concerns.
“One of the problems we have today is the ability to forge documents, especially the ability by terrorists to alter documents,” he said.
“The ‘Visit USA’ programme is an example of employing technology to make sure that the person coming into the United States is actually the same individual whose name and picture is in the passport,” he added.
Although the programme is new, initial feedback has shown that the procedures have only added limited delays to the immigration clearance process, Mr. Witajewski said.
He advised, however, that travelers continue to arrive at air and seaports well in advance of travel times.
“The pre-clearance people here worked on the programme on a trial basis over the weekend and they report that it went quite well,” Mr. Witajewski said.
“It was a purely voluntary programme and people were asked if they wanted to have their fingerprints taken and it went well. There were no delays because of it so we’re very pleased with the first results of the programme.”
Embassy officials said the biometrics identification system will be enhanced in August, when Bahamians will be fingerprinted and photographed as part of the visa application process.
Those records would then be checked against scans taken at air and seaports when persons travel.
The new traveler identification system was mandated by the US Department of Homeland Security and came into effect on January 5, 2004.
The Department of Homeland Security, in a statement, said passenger fingerprint information and photographs would be “securely stored and made available only to authorised officials and selected law enforcement agencies on a need-to-know basis.”
By Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
