Second phase of Border Control Management System effected in Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia: The second phase of the implementation of a new Border Control Management System (BCMS) in Saint Lucia was effected on Saturday, September 25. This phase has brought the airports and seaports up to speed with the new, cutting-edge BCMS platform.

The first phase and launch of the Border Control Management System took place on July 4, with the George F.L. Charles Airport and Rodney Bay Marina projects singled out as prototypes. Immigration expert with the Saint Lucia Border Control Agency, Lucius Lake, commented that the George F.L. Charles Airport and the Rodney Bay Marina phase of the project advanced seamlessly.

“Since the launch of the Border Control Management System on July 4, we have extended the system to the Hewannora International Airport, having done so at George FL Charles Airport, the Rodney Bay Marina, and the Ferry Terminal at Port Castries. We can now safely say that Marigot Bay, Soufriere and the Hewannora International Airport are all working well,” he said.

“Staff members have been trained on how to conduct secondary inspections on persons of interest, the system and the RADIX Team are on hand to deal with any issues, updates, upgrades, and ensuring that the ports are covered as per previous information in phase one.

Consultant Frank Baks of Gamma IT Solutions Aruba is on the island with his counterpart Desmond Nicholson. They have been providing solutions and related support services since the inception of the project. They state that Saint Lucia can now boast of a Border Control Management System, which can accommodate even more add-on features in due course.

“Saint Lucia definitely has a state-of-the-art system with many, many more possibilities to include in the future by connecting different departments and government services to make the border even more secure in the near future.”

The BCMS solution enables border control agencies to process both arriving and departing travellers in wide-ranging situations at air, land, and sea points of entry on the island.