Ladies and Gentlemen

I am pleased to participate in the Passing-Out Ceremony/ Graduation Exercises of A-Squad 2011 of the Trainee Immigration Officers. I am particularly happy to address this group of new recruits as this occasion marks the first such exercise for Immigration Border Control Officers who have been cross trained with the Customs Department and who will function as joint Immigration and Customs Officers at Ports of Entry around our country beginning in the Family Islands.

In determining to combine our Immigration and Customs Services we are following a growing trend internationally where Governments seek to maximize efficiencies and effectiveness in the control of national borders.

Generally it is believed that combining Customs and Immigration Agencies can promote and facilitate: -

Improved information and intelligence sharing; Maximum use of trained Human Resources so as to gain greater efficiency and productivity in the work place, Economic savings gained through the reduction in duplication of effort particularly at low volume ports of entry.


As you have learned during your training programme, your mandate is to facilitate the orderly flow of legitimate trade and travelers even while detecting and preventing undesirables and unwanted goods from entering The Bahamas

This is no small task. The Commonwealth of The Bahamas spans some 100,000 square miles of ocean and comprises more than 700 islands, 29 of which are inhabited. Some of our islands have several international ports of entry. We extend from Bimini in the north which lies a mere 60 miles from Florida to within 480 miles of Haiti in the south east. At some points, Cuba, which borders our southwest perimeters, is less than 25 miles from our outlying cays. Adequately protecting our borders will require new methods and strategies.

The new mandate for you as Immigration Border Control officers relates to your responsibility for enforcing the laws related to revenue collection and trade, the seizure of contraband, and the interdiction of illegal or restricted items (matters traditionally within the portfolio of customs officers). And, you retain responsibility for determining the admissibility of individuals seeking to enter our country for leisure, business or residence.

As Border Control Officers your duties will entail the full range of inspection of passenger and cargos upon arrival, and the enforcement and execution of the law as it relates to the departure of persons and goods/cargos. You are responsible to:

Facilitate the smooth entry and departure of bona fide visitors, business persons, returning citizens and residents; Facilitate the smooth importation of legal/authorized goods and ensure the payment of all customs duties as required by law; Detect and identify fraudulent documentations for persons or cargoes; Detect and prevent the entry of illegal goods or contraband including fire arms, illicit drugs and other controlled substances; Identify and take appropriate action to prevent any assistance to illegal immigrants and or to traffickers in human beings; Detect and stop the illegal movement of criminal elements across the Borders; Plan and participate in joint agency operations throughout The Bahamas with a view to curbing activities by criminal organization, cartels or other groupings.



In summary, you are to ensure that border crossings are executed in an orderly fashion and as speedily as possible due regard being given to your responsibility to ensure that the laws of The Bahamas as regards Immigration and Revenue Collection are not violated or compromised.

The Government is committed to ensuring that you receive the training and the tools necessary to carry out your mandate. Toward that end, I am pleased to note that already this year the Customs and Immigration Departments have collectively trained eighty-eight (88) new Border Control Officers.