Security concerns have been raised regarding border security, particularly in relation to the efficiency of machines replacing some security personnel at the nation's airports. An immigration officer has expressed doubt about the machines' ability to detect certain security threats effectively. These concerns were highlighted following the recent arrival of a plane carrying over 200 Indians from, some of whom lacked proper documentation.

Flagged on flight

Over 200 Indians ordered home amid security concerns about some passengers on chartered carrier

Jamaica Gleaner/7 May 2024/ Kimone Francis/Senior Staff Reporter

SOME OF the more than 200 Indians who arrived in Jamaica on a charter flight from Dubai told immigration officials that they had travelled to the island for a five-day tour, but checks of their itineraries revealed coverage for only one day.

Gleaner immigration sources confirmed on the weekend that anomalies were initially picked up with travel arrangements for some of the group of mostly men while the flight was already airborne.

On arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston on Thursday, immigration officers discovered that there were also issues with the travel documents for some of the men.

“For the purpose of the visit they said they were staying five days to tour the island but they had an itinerary for one day,” disclosed one immigration official who spoke with The Gleaner on condition of anonymity.

The group was subsequently refused entry but allowed to remain in the island at the ROK Hotel in downtown Kingston for a few days on humanitarian grounds while arrangements for repatriation were being finalised. The Ministry of National Security has indicated that expenses are to be covered by operators of the airline company.

They were scheduled to leave the island yesterday, but up to press time last night remained in the departure lounge at NMIA.

Further, Gleaner sources confirmed that the group was transiting through the country, with some of its travellers reportedly destined for Nicaragua in the hopes of participating in a major housing development project in the Central American country.

Others were to leave for Canada, sources said.

Still, the Jamaican Government is yet to confirm the purpose of the Indians’ travel, indicating only that the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) was aware of the flight ahead of its arrival on the island.

The Gleaner has learnt that the police are investigating a possible human smuggling operation.

The flight, carrying 253 Indians, German crew members, at least one French citizen, a national of Uzbekistan and a Russian landed in Jamaica on charter flight XG201 which transited through Cairo International Airport in Egypt from Dubai.

The USC GmbH carrier on which they arrived is registered in Germany and operated by USC Aero, a company founded in 2020 by airline professionals.

Efforts on Monday to get a comment from USC were unsuccessful as calls and an email went unanswered.

ARRIVED LEGALLY

The Ministry of National Security, in a statement yesterday, said the flight arrived in Jamaica legally, having received the requisite approvals for operation from the JCAA.

The ministry said despite having arrangements in place for accommodation and departure from the country, the passengers were refused entry by immigration officials, based on security concerns uncovered during their processing at the airport.

The Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), it said, in collaboration with the Jamaica Constabulary Force, has been leading the operational response since the group’s arrival.

“Passenger flights are routinely screened by local authorities for security threats, possible breaches of law and/or regulations,” the statement read.

In this instance, the ministry said while it was alerted to the operation of the flight, based on what

appeared to be anomalies and missing details from its initial permit application, the necessary supporting documents were later supplied to satisfy the requirements for obtaining a permit to operate to Jamaica.

The ministry said that, upon landing i n Jamaica, it was discovered that there were two passengers on the flight who did not appear on the submitted passenger manifest.

It said this l ed to further investigations by PICA and, based on those enhanced checks, the decision was taken not to grant the passengers leave to land in Jamaica.

IMPRACTICAL TO DETAIN PASSENGERS

It said that, given the duration of the flight, as well as civil aviation regulations for the minimum rest period before clearance is given to safely operate, it was deemed impractical to detain the passengers in the plane or at the airport.

Crewmembers and passengers were allowed to leave the airport and escorted to the hotel by law enforcement and immigration personnel.

“This form of supervised release is in keeping with the provisions of the Immigration Restriction (Commonwealth Citizens) Act and Aliens Act,” the ministry said.

Yesterday, India’s High Commissioner to Jamaica Masakui Rungsung said the high commission was working with Jamaican authorities to secure the “safe and smooth” repatriation of the Indians.

One immigration official is insisting that t he matter underscores the importance of border security officers who are in some instance being replaced by machines.

“I don’t know if it ’s the management [of the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency] advising the Government or the Government just believes visitors need to move through the airport quicker, but they think because they put in the kiosk machines and e-gates it will fix the problem. They are ignoring the national security component and international threats,” the Gleaner source said.

Added to that, the source noted that the machines carry “no security features”.

“The management is going to tell you that the people who use the kiosk are low risk. But as long as you have, for example, a Canadian or American passport, though the country may be deemed low risk, not every holder of its passport is low risk,” the source asserted.

However, Indians, the source told The Gleaner, are “monitored nationals” globally, and so are manually processed by an officer upon arrival in Jamaica because of their risk profile.

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