Issuance of Electronic Passports underway says PM Skerrit.

Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Roosevelt Skerrit, has revealed that the time when Dominicans will be able to travel with Electronic passports is on the horizon.

The passports will contain the biological data of the holder.

Skerrit made the disclosure while responding to questions raised by the Opposition on identity information requested by the United States for travellers entering that North American country. He revealed that the government is on the “threshold” of signing the agreement with a firm from the European Union to begin, by the first quarter of 2018, the issuance of these electronic passports.

The Prime Minister noted that the only reason that this agreement has not yet been signed is because of a pre-existing agreement with regard to passports and an escape clause had to be looked at.

“We have taken the decision to proceed with the issuance of electronic passports in Dominica. As a matter of fact the country has come to the cabinet,” he said on Kairi’s ‘Next Level’ program over the weekend. “The only reason why we have not signed the agreement with this international firm is because we had an existing agreement for the machine passports that [was] not affirmed. So we had to go through this legal contract to look at the escape clause.”

Skerrit noted that the new measure will enhance passport security as every passport will have a “chip” with all of the holder’s bio data so that when one goes to the U.S. as early as next year, for example, he/she will no longer need to have their picture taken or any fingerprints done.

“Your passport would have that information. All information about you that is personal to you, it enhances the security of our passports and that presentation was done by a firm from the European Union. We negotiated the agreement, it has been reviewed by the Electoral Office, approved by the cabinet and we are just on the threshold of signing the agreement,” he said.

Electronic driver’s licenses are also in the cards, according to the Prime Minister.

“The intention is for you to have your bio data on your driver’s license. So if you are using [it] to travel, you also have the same data on it. We also will be improving the security features at the gate of naturalization. So the U.S. is asking us whether we have electronic passports, we say no but we explain o them that we are on the threshold of signing,” Skerrit stated.

The answer to the United States’ question of whether or not there are plans to introduce such an initiative in Dominica was “yes,” Skerrit affirmed and said he anticipates that the agreement will be signed by the first week of September 2017 which would indicate that Dominica may be one of the first countries in CARICOM to engage this venture.

 

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33 Comments

  1. AJ
    July 9, 2020

    When can we get a biometric passport with a Biometric chip? It’s been 3 years. And can we change our current passports with a Biometric passport?

  2. David Kirk
    December 9, 2019

    It is more than 2 years later, and still no e-passports. I thought worthless Skerrit said that by the first quarter of 2018, e-passport issuance would begin….

  3. August 28, 2019

    Dear PM .
    Any update regarding the issuance of E-passport ?

  4. Issam Masri
    June 22, 2019

    What happened to those biometric passports? Did the project go on hold?

  5. Anthony P. Ismael Minister of Free Pampers
    August 3, 2017

    It’s about time. Now, INTERPOL will be able to catch those wanted criminals with our “Diplomatic Passports,” much easier. :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P

  6. FORKIT
    August 3, 2017

    if the passport sellers or the person provide fake documents for like birth certificate with a new name, how can the immigration here be certain that this person is not a threat or person of interest?. if the crime of providing fraudulent documents to the passport sellers makes it through, how will or immigration know before they are given this chip coded passport…. more complications
    the government is not saying everything, he, one man needs to tell us about those diplomats that are out there

  7. Dominican
    August 3, 2017

    I think our government should inform us of all the details, requirements and possible impllications in a public forum, to address all the questions and to put our minds at ease. Right now there is too much speculation

  8. Mr. Ben Dover
    August 3, 2017

    Absolute nonsense. Clearly you have bought into that new world order deal. Why all of a sudden must my passport have “All information about you that is personal to you, it enhances the security of our passports and that presentation was done by a firm from the European Union.” This is just a way for us to buy into their control mechanisms. And i suppose if our passports dont have the info that THEY want we wont be allowed or will have problems at their borders? This in no way improves security as real terrorists use forged and fake passports. Dont be fooled people, this is a way for our local governments to collect data on its populace and intrude into your personal freedoms on behalf of super powers like the US and the EU. Let me guess now we have to put our finger prints on them, hair samples, stool, blood and urine as well? i mean if you want to get personal info about me there you go.

    • Malatete
      August 3, 2017

      This not something invented by the U.S.A (for once!
      The irony is that some countries even require their citizens to have an internal passport so as to control the movement of people. The old Soviet Union had this and the current State of Russia continues this to this day, China has a similar policy ,know as the Hukoe system, introduced by Mao Tse Tung, Incidentally, China collects biometric data from visitin foreigners, including fingerprints upon entering the country.

  9. anonymous2
    August 3, 2017

    The PM is selling out the people here. Notice that this is prominent in 3rd world countries where people are considered even more like cattle. Ignorance dominates in Dominica.
    Did you ever ask ‘why should you need a passport to go anywhere in the world?’ The answer is because you are considered to be a lowly animal, a slave. You are not free in this world.

  10. Let The Truth Be Known - Original
    August 2, 2017

    All countries of the world must comply with the US. Some foreign countries could have had it and the passport holders were not aware of it. Now it is transparent under the Trump Administration and its emphasis. This is for the protection of the US, its nationals and legitimate travelers to the US. It is primarily necessary to deter terrorism.
    The time has come that Dominica must now comply whatever the passport one holds. I see nothing wrong with that. It is for the safety of all.

    • anonymous2
      August 3, 2017

      Terrorism is a CIA operation. Wake up. It is funded by the US and England mostly and is a mechanism to keep people scared and under control.

      • Anonymous
        August 4, 2017

        And ISIS are our saviours????

  11. KIP
    August 2, 2017

    Its so funny how casual we discuss this issue. who controls this data. mark of the beast?

  12. Scampy
    August 2, 2017

    The Hon. Dr. Rogue, is being advised by PR consultants who he is paying a fortune of our money for. These rascals always tell their clients to milk everything. Next, you will hear the bandit telling us that he is going to put millions of public money into filling the sea around Dominica with water.

  13. lalee
    August 2, 2017

    Oh yes, they buttering it up now for people, but what’s it going to cost???????????

  14. papa
    August 2, 2017

    Alas pm I lost my respect for u u behaving like cacarat

    • Scampy
      August 5, 2017

      Do not insult cacarats. There are some things, unlike Dominicans, that they refuse to do!

  15. Chakademus
    August 2, 2017

    If biometric information has to be collected, what will the process be like? Furthermore what about those of us in the diaspora, how will we renew/apply for our passports?

  16. analy thomas
    August 2, 2017

    I know that this has been a requirement for years and the whole world is doing this, but am i one of the few getting this or are others ignoring this? “every passport will have a “chip” with all of the holder’s bio data so that when one goes to the U.S. as early as next year, for example, he/she will no longer need to have their picture taken or any fingerprints done.” This is not a ‘government thing’ but an event which is narrowing down to the last point! imagine Dominica, a third world to some and developing to others aligning to global events. The U.S, a developed nation is making it mandatory for this to happen in order to come in. We call this technology, advancement, development…….
    What security? We are driven today by deception! mark my words! Both Satan and humans know that there is a climax. He cannot be direct lest he looses company. He is a foul player, as a result, will deceive many. It is written!
    Only a fool will say that Jesus Christ will not come!

    • anonymous2
      August 3, 2017

      There is no Jesus Christ as a person and there never was. It is symbolism in the Bible. I essentially stands for “the wise one.’ The Bible also says ‘thou shalt have no false gods before me.’ People don’t realize that they are praying to ‘false gods.’ That is why nothing is going to come save this civilization. It will perish as many before it have. You worship the Sun and Dagon (the fish god of the vatican) on Sunday, Saturn and the Moon on Saturday. So, for the most part, you are worshiping planets and fish. Do you think that the ‘great all knowing spirit’ is going to condone this?

  17. August 2, 2017

    what next the mark of the beast?

    • Scampy
      August 5, 2017

      We already have it. It is called Skerrit.

  18. Just Thinking
    August 2, 2017

    The U.S.A. Will still require you to print test and photograph on arrival.

    • UK Dominican
      August 3, 2017

      Not necessarily so, when arriving at London Heathrow in London last time there was no immigration officer to check my passport. Instead I inserted my open e-passport into a slot in a scanning machine (like a credit card) that also has an access gate.
      After checking the passport the gate automatically opened and I was free to go on my way, Very quick, very simple. There is no reason why the U.S. should not employ this, beginning with their own citizens first,
      PS.There is a roaming immigration officer at hand to guide visitors, who are unfamiliar with this system.

  19. I fooled a lawyer
    August 2, 2017

    A promise…………..ONLY a comfort to fools. This is the same person that promised Laplane farmers five years ago, two boats to ship their dasheen. The same person that promised the caribs during the 2014 elections to give them a Carib holiday in 2015. We in ,2017 and nothing doing. Same man that fooled the nation many, many, many times before. Even one of his own ministers is on record saying that he fooled him

  20. Malgraysa
    August 2, 2017

    The electronic- or E-passports has been in use since 1998 when Malaysia was the first country to start using this form of passport as a protection against fraudulent identification papers. By 2005 and 2006 most Schengen countries had introduced it also. Even countries as diverse as Iran, Venezuela, Macau and the UAE use it. One would have thought that such a travel/identification document would enhance the integrity , value, status and appeal of countries like ours that are involved in CBI programmes and the question must be asked why we are complying only now, under pressure from the U.S.A? If it is such a good thing why did we not volunteer much earlier to introduce it ourselves to stress that the passports we issue are genuine, bon-fide identification documents? I suspect that all, still valid, passports issued under our CBI programme need to be replaced. That is going to be one hell of a costly logistics- and security nightmare. Who is going to pay for this?

    • August 2, 2017

      Dominica is not the only country that has not yet started to issue e-passports, some caricom countries are still issuing machine readable passport. My understanding is that the plan to start issuing e-passports was in the works before this new US requirement. The US had required countries taking part in their visa waiver program to have e-passports now they including all countries. This is a US requirement it is not an international mandate. Anything to bash Dominica. America says jump and all people you will ask, how high massa? It is not going to be a nightmare, the passport you have will remain valid until it expires, what gives you entry to the United states is the visa which is stamped on your passport, stop making a mountain out of a molehill.

      • Daryl Joseph
        August 3, 2017

        Thanks for your contribution, can’t believe some thing so simple is getting so work up over that even devil and Christ is included in this conversation.
        Folks every passport these days have a barcode makes traveling much easier, your passport is scanned on arrival all the info immigration needs is on the monitor in front of them. The only question they will ask is where are you staying during your visit.
        Don’t dwell on small stuff

      • Me
        August 3, 2017

        In that case Caricom runs behind African countries like Gambia, Ghana, Gabon, Tanzania and others.

  21. UK Dominican
    August 2, 2017

    Sorry, but I am confused. Didn’t the same Prime Minister also say that we were already fully compliant? Perhaps I didn’t hear very well. Could Francine Baron, or the Minister responsible for immigrration and security clear that up please? Also, does this mean that we now have to fork out for new passports, even though the onw we have is still valid and can we travel on the existign one to destinations other then the U.S.A.?. I suspect the new one will be much more expensive. Answers please!

    • Really
      August 3, 2017

      I only got my e passport from the british last year when my 10 year old one expired and i travelled all over till then.So what is the big issue?All new passports to be printed will be Epassports so what is the big deal?

      • UK Dominican
        August 4, 2017

        I’m glad you finally got yours. It makes travelling a lot easier. I don’t mind people knowing who I am, whom they are dealing with. Who wants to be a nobody?

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