Tougher penalties for immigration breaches at self-declaration at ports – President Ali – New E-border system

President Dr Irfaan Ali has announced that the Government will be introducing tougher penalties for immigration offences as it moves to implement a self-declaration system at its various ports of entry.
This feature forms part of the electronic border protection system, which the Government has already started to implement.
“We now have to put the specialised scanners at customs, which we’ve already ordered, to remove the old need of humanly identifying bags and people. Everything will be scanned; every bag will be scanned,” the President said on Wednesday during the opening ceremony of the Annual Police Officers’ Conference.
“And we’ll make it very simple,” he further noted. “It’s self-declaration. Every bag will be scanned for its self-declaration, and we will have to amend the penalties: one strike, two strikes and then jail strike.”
“So, it will be self-declaration. If on the first occasion you have a wrong declaration, there will be a heavy fine; on the second occasion, there will be a heavier fine, and on the third occasion, there will be a jail term,” he noted, adding that “you don’t have to blame a customs officer anymore, and you don’t have to blame an immigration officer anymore.”
Under the e-border protection system, the Government has already operationalised e-gates at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), the country’s main port of entry.
The e-gates allow up to six passengers to be processed simultaneously under the supervision of a single officer. Travellers opting for self-check-in will have their passports and identities verified using biometric data, such as photographs. Once verified, passengers will pass through a physical gate and proceed to customs. One major advantage of the system is its ability to use existing data, speeding up departure processing for passengers returning within a short period.
For added security, the e-gates are integrated with the Global Resilient Critical Communication (GRCC) database, which works with INTERPOL to screen flagged individuals.
If a passenger’s identity fails to be verified, the gate will remain closed, and the system will alert immigration officers.
In addition to the e-gates, an online Embarkation/Disembarkation (ED) form has been introduced to further reduce processing times. Travellers can complete the form before arrival, and kiosks with staff support will be available for those unfamiliar with the process.
These upgrades are part of the Government’s initiative to create a paperless organisation and enhance CJIA’s position as a regional and international travel hub.
According to President Ali, he has already been receiving positive feedback about these upgrades, and he emphasised the importance of having them functioning daily.
“We’re hearing the wonderful comments from people everywhere I travel now; they’re speaking about the speed through which they’re being processed, comparing it to one of the best border systems in the world. We have to ensure that it works every day,” he emphasised.