Security Minister Peter Bunting on Thursday, tests one of the five automated immigration kiosks installed at the Norman Manley International Airport, in Kingston, to process arriving passengers. (Photo:JIS)
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Government has installed five automated immigration kiosks to process airline passengers arriving at the Norman Manley International Airport, in Kingston, and 10 at the Sangster International Airport, in Montego Bay at a cost of J$200 million.
The kiosks are expected to reduce processing time at the two international airports by at least a minute. Immigration officers will monitor the system, and intervene whenever necessary.
Minister of National Security, Peter Bunting, speaking at the introduction of the kiosks said that the system is designed to detect people’s travel history, and to easily identify those who present health risks, and are also of interest to law enforcement officers.
“While this development will reduce physical interaction between immigration and passengers, we are confident that the security of the nation will not be compromised,” Bunting said, adding that the kiosks work in conjunction with an Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), and aid the work of the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).
“It allows PICA to continue to detect persons of interest by cross referencing incoming passengers against the nation’s watch list, and conducting appropriate security checks by a built-in matrix,” the security minister said.
