US, CARICOM sign landmark border security pact
St Vincent among other CARICOM nations have signed Landmark Border Security Pact, which establishes a comprehensive Biometric Data Sharing Partnership with the United States.
The Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) was signed on Friday in Washington by Rob Law, the Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, & Plans for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Lieutenant Colonel Michael Jones, the executive director of the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS).
The signing ceremony was hosted by the Ambassador of St Kitts and Nevis and included representatives from St Vincent, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.
According to the DHS, this agreement represents the department’s first multilateral biometric information-sharing arrangement. The pact creates a framework for automated data exchanges intended to support the screening and vetting of individuals who may pose immigration or security risks to the United States or CARICOM member states.
Under Secretary Rob Law noted that the partnership will significantly strengthen cooperation on regional border security.
The memorandum also specifically addresses the Citizenship-by-Investment programmes currently operating in the Eastern Caribbean.
The sharing of information through this new program is intended to enhance vetting practices and address risks identified in US Presidential Proclamations regarding purchased citizenship being used to conceal identities or bypass travel restrictions.
Officials from the US State Department added that the agreement marks a significant alignment of Caribbean border security standards with those of the United States. Both the DHS and CARICOM IMPACS are working to ensure the cooperation is fully operational by the end of 2026.
