Caricom, Interpol tighten immigration process

Around 30 people so far have been denied entry to the Caribbean with two weeks to go before the official opening ceremony of the World Cup.

Peter Phillips, Jamaica's national security minister, who is leading the Caribbean community's security programme for the cricket showpiece, said the measures were taken by Caribbean immigration officials using technology provided by Interpol.

The international criminal police organisation is providing the region with technology that allows law enforcement officers at airports and seaports to instantly check passports against the group's global database of stolen and lost travel documents.

The database contains information on more than 13 million documents from over 120 countries. Ronald Noble, Secretary General of the Paris-based Interpol, acknowledged that the region's use of the technology is a major boost in the drive to ensure that the March-April tournament passes off safely.

"We have done something that is historic and extraordinary as we put the most advanced border control system in place in the Caribbean region than anywhere else in the world," said Noble.

"To give you an idea of how powerful this system is - each month here in the Caribbean 96,000 passport travel documents and visas are screened against Interpol's data base instantly."

At the same time, John Collymore, head of World Cup security operations has boasted of an "impregnable" security system in place for the event.

"You never know what will happen, but our planning has attempted to move seamlessly," he said.

"The venue security is supported by the national security and the national security is supported by the regional security and the regional security is supported by the international security, so we have four layers that anyone who wants to do anything will have to penetrate."