BVI Immigration launches passport control kiosks at Beef Island airport
The Immigration Department has installed Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks at the Terrance B Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island to expedite entry for returning locals holding a British Virgin Islands or United Kingdom passport.
2022-08-25 12:35:16 - VI News Staff
A press release by the Premier’s Office noted that the APC kiosks, launched during a brief ceremony at the airport last Friday, will enable eligible travellers to scan their passports and respond to entry questions.
The system performs a facial recognition verification of the travellers which allows them entry into the territory if successful.
Deputy Premier Kye Rymer, who was Acting Premier at the time of the launch, said: “We are working with e-Government to make these processes efficient, streamlined, and online. We want to ensure [entering the Virgin Islands] is a seamless process.”
Rymer also acknowledged the hard work of the Immigration Department, which he said “worked tirelessly” during the height of COVID-19.
“We look forward to the launch of the additional phases of the [border management system],” he added.
Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office, Carolyn Stoutt Igwe, said the kiosks are a significant milestone, “as the government seeks to enhance services to ensure the best possible experience for residents and visitors, as well as to improve the territory’s border security”.
She also said the launch of the kiosks is timely in preparing for the next tourist season.
“We are a tourism destination, and we are working hard to ensure that we improve our services, as we look forward to the next tourist season,” Stoutt-Igwe said.
The Permanent Secretary referred to the launch of the Immigration Department’s Border Management and e-Visa System back in December 2020. She explained that since then, the department has launched different services under the Border Management and eVisa System with Friday’s launching of the kiosks being another phase of the project.