CASTRIES, St Lucia, (CMC) – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Community (Caricom) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) will hold a three-day meeting in St Lucia from Wednesday, focusing on enhancing partnerships to combat the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in persons and transnational organised crime.

IMPACS said that the 28th meeting of the Standing Committee of Chiefs of Immigration and Comptrollers of Customs (CICC), will be held under the theme “Strengthening Regional Leadership, Innovation, and Collaboration in Border Security”.

It will bring together senior officials from the 15 Caricom member states and six associate member states, along with representatives from key regional and international partners. IMPACS said that the meeting will address the region’s most pressing border security challenges and the evolving migration landscape and the agenda includes high-level dialogues and working sessions.

It said that these sessions will explore emerging technologies such as digital identity, biometric border controls and epassport standards as well as advancing the Regional Migration Policy (RAMP) and strategies to deepen Caricom integration while balancing mobility and security.

In addition, the three-day meeting will address synthetic drugs proliferation, intelligence-led border management and countermeasures to evolving threats as well as enhancing border screening and Advance Passenger Information (API)/Passenger Name Record (PNR) implementation across the Region to strengthen passenger data analysis and risk management.

Modernising non-intrusive inspection technologies, advancing cargo profiling systems and enhancing regional maritime enforcement will also be on the agenda, with IMPACS noting that “closed caucus sessions for immigration and customs leaders will also deliberate on legislative harmonisation, integrated border management strategies and capacity-building priorities”.

“The outcomes of this year’s CICC are expected to shape the future of Caricom’s integrated border security architecture, promote cohesive migration policies and strengthen collaborative frameworks that address both national and regional priorities,” IMPACS added.