The Government of the Virgin Islands signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) for the exchange of Advance Passenger Information (API) in a brief ceremony held yesterday Tuesday, December 6.

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley signed on behalf of the Government and Lieutenant Colonel Michael Jones on behalf of CARICOM IMPACS in a regional effort for security and border protection.

Premier Wheatley said, “I am happy that the Virgin Islands is formally joining… the regional effort for security and border protection, through the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding for the exchange of Advanced Passenger between the Government of the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security.”

He added, “The API System allows some of the screening that must be done on arriving travellers to be completed before they arrive on our doorsteps, and this will allow for faster processing. Additionally, we can have a greater level of comfort, because we know that the persons we are admitting into the Territory have been screened against international databases by the API System. We also feel good knowing that we are passing forward the same benefits to countries that receive travellers from the Virgin Islands when we transmit API to the system.”