It is a common practice when one visits the USA, UK, Israel and other terrorism threatened countries to be fingerprinted before you are allowed entry. You can also be subject to an eye scan.

Deputy Governor, Hon. Franz Manderson, revealed last Tuesday (13) that government has acquired the necessary equipment, and the legislation to implement a system to fingerprint all future and existing work permit holders will be going before Cabinet shortly.

North Side MLA, Ezzard Miller, wants fingerprints taken on everyone coming in and not just the work permit holders. He said he believed there was a greater threat to security from people entering Cayman without any information or the clearance required from permit holders. “It would be sensible to implement the system across the board,” he said. He pointed to cases he had heard about where people were deported over and over again but the authorities were unaware because they were using false passports.

Premier, Hon. McKeeva Bush did not agree saying it would impact tourism. He pointed out that such a move to encompass everybody who came in and out of Cayman was a much broader policy decision that was not confined to the Deputy Governor’s remit of security.

“I’m not going to agree to that as we are a tourist destination,” he said adding that it would cost too much and it was not right to have people waiting in lines when they are tourists visiting the destination.

Mr. Miller argued that he did not believe that tourists would be impacted so badly by a biometric entry security system, which is common in other jurisdictions. “It would help to prevent people from abusing the system.” He queried what the position of the police commissioner would be, given that criminals were obviously getting into the country via the general entry as tourists.

Whilst Mr. Miller does have a valid point I have to agree with the premier that fingerprinting tourists would not be very pleasing to tourists. Fingerprinting was originally brought in because of terrorism threats not to prevent criminals entering. Thankfully, terrorism is not a worry here although I expect the police commissioner would jump at the opportunity to fingerprint everyone.

I also cannot agree with Mr. Miller’s assertion he doesn’t think it would impact tourism. With tourism numbers at a record low do we really want to impliment another barrier that has not been put in place at other Caribbean tourist destinations?