A&B leads region with ‘groundbreaking’ welcome home system

By Kisean Joseph
kisean.joseph@antiguaobserver.com
Antigua and Barbuda is positioning itself at the forefront of Caribbean border technology with a biometric immigration system officials say is unprecedented in the region.
The Welcome Home Antigua initiative, launched last Thursday, will allow Antigua and Barbuda passport holders aged 16 and over to enrol once and travel without completing an immigration ED-Card on each journey.
Chief Immigration Officer Katrina Yearwood described the initiative as “groundbreaking”, saying it builds on the country’s Arrive Antigua platform, which she believes helped influence similar technological changes elsewhere in the Caribbean.
“We came up with Arrive Antigua, and then we realised that Arrive Antigua inspired a lot of the other Caribbean jurisdictions to jump on board and to either implement a system like ours or to amend the existing system that they have in their territories to reflect the technology that is in our system,” Yearwood said.
Observer Media also spoke with a security consultant involved with the system, who said enrolled travellers will take a selfie and answer Customs questions through the app before travelling, then use a dedicated biometric verification lane on arrival.
Enrolment will be free through the Welcome Home Antigua app, WelcomeHome.ag or airport kiosks.
The consultant said specific technical details cannot be disclosed for security reasons, but the platform uses facial biometric technology similar to systems deployed in the United States, Canada and the European Union.
According to the consultant, the technology verifies that a traveller matches the identity in the passport and is intended to reduce impostor fraud involving the use of another person’s travel documents.
The consultant also said the biometric process is more accurate than relying solely on a human officer to confirm identity.
Antigua and Barbuda is also said to be among a small number of countries conducting reverse facial searches of travellers against Interpol Yellow Notices, which are used internationally to help locate missing persons or identify people unable to identify themselves.
Yearwood said the new initiative further distinguishes Antigua and Barbuda from its regional counterparts.
“There is no Caribbean island that has this, that has offered this,” she said.
“So again, Antigua is being a sort of inspirational figure, if I can say that, because I very much am confident that after this launches in its totality, the neighbouring islands again will feel inspired and, you know, perhaps develop something similar with this.”
The platform is also part of an integrated security network linking Immigration, Customs, the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy, the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force and the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda.
The consultant said the network is designed to strengthen efforts against human trafficking, illegal immigration, smuggling and Customs violations.
For participating citizens, the system is also expected to reduce border processing time by eliminating the need to repeatedly provide immigration information already captured during enrolment.
Yearwood said the initiative forms part of the continuing modernisation of the country’s immigration services.
A full rollout is expected sometime in November, although an exact date is still being finalised with the network provider and other stakeholders.