by Linda Straker
- Senior officials from 15 Caricom and 6 Associate Member States and representatives from key regional and international partners attending CICC meeting
- ASP Elyan Purcell and Karen Forsyth-Hall representing Grenada
- 3-day agenda includes high-level dialogues and working sessions
Two of Grenada’s law enforcement officers are attending the 28th Meeting of the Standing Committee of Chiefs of Immigration and Comptrollers of Customs (CICC), which opened in St Lucia on 14 May 2025. The meeting will conclude on 16 May.
Taking place under the theme “Strengthening Regional Leadership, Innovation, and Collaboration in Border Security,” the meeting will bring together senior officials from 15 Caricom Member States and 6 Associate Member States, along with representatives from key regional and international partners. Discussions will address the region’s most pressing border security challenges and the evolving migration landscape.
Grenada’s participants are ASP Elyan Purcell, Chief Immigration Officer, representing the Immigration Department and Karen Forsyth-Hall, Comptroller of Customs, representing the Customs and Excise Division.
A press release from Caricom IMPACS said that the 3-day agenda includes high-level dialogues and working sessions, which will focus on:
- enhancing partnerships to combat the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in persons and transnational organised crime
- exploring emerging technologies such as digital identity, biometric border controls and e-passport standards
- advancing the Regional Migration Policy (RAMP) and strategies to deepen Caricom integration, while balancing mobility and security
The release said the meeting will also address synthetic drugs proliferation, intelligence-led border management and countermeasures to evolving threats. Enhancing border screening and Advance Passenger Information (API)/Passenger Name Record (PNR) implementation across the region to strengthen passenger data analysis and risk management, modernising non-intrusive inspection technologies, and advancing cargo profiling systems and enhancing regional maritime enforcement are also on the agenda.
Closed caucus sessions for immigration and customs leaders will allow for discussion on legislative harmonisation, integrated border management strategies and capacity-building priorities.
“The outcomes of this year’s CICC are expected to shape the future of Caricom’s integrated border security architecture, promote cohesive migration policies and strengthen collaborative frameworks that address both national and regional priorities,” the release said.
Caricom IMPACS was established by the 27th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom in July 2006, in Bird Rock, St Kitts and Nevis, as the implementation arm of a new regional architecture to manage Caricom’s action agenda on crime and security.