Acting Assistant Chief Immigration Officer Joey Scott recently participated in extensive training in the processing of asylum-seekers, sponsored by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Earlier this year Mr. Scott completed the required 80 hours of online distance-learning. The remaining training took place at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre in Georgia, USA from 19 April through 23 May.

Acting Chief Immigration Officer Bruce Smith said, “We are proud of Mr. Scott and his exemplary performance during this course. He obtained very high marks and praise from his instructors. Over the past decade the Cayman Islands has dealt with over 250 asylum applications, mostly from Cuban nationals. I am anxious to have Mr. Scott settle in with his additional skills.”

The programme involved general and division-specific training modules, while also addressing the fundamentals of international refugee law, theory and application. It focused on the application of theory during interviews and adjudications.

This combined training programme, which the United States Government uses exclusively for training its specialized asylum officers, was rigorous; involving both written and practical testing.

Mr. Scott, who manages the Enforcement Section of the Department of Immigration, commented, “I was thrilled to have a chance to train alongside some of the most intelligent, qualified and capable people of the USCIS.”