BELMOPAN, Belize (CMC) — Belize and the United States (US) have launched a new initiative marking a milestone in their cooperation on border protection amid concerns being raised by Opposition legislators.

The initiative will allow for officials from the country’s Ministry of Immigration to work with their US counterparts under the Biometric Data Sharing Partnership (BDSP).

As part of this new partnership, Belize’s points of entry will receive a software and hardware upgrade that enables immigration officers to conduct background checks on visitors by accessing the United States Department of Homeland Security’s identity database, one of the world’s largest biometric law enforcement archives.

“We are pleased to introduce the Biometric Data Sharing Partnership, a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Immigration and the Government of the United States through its embassy here in Belize,” said Immigration Minister Kareem Musa at the signing ceremony.

“This partnership modernises how we identify people entering our country, supports our immigration officers with advanced tools and training and strengthens national security. We remain fully committed to safeguarding our national borders while providing excellent service to those who visit us with genuine intent,” Musa added.

Home Affairs and Enterprise Minister, Oscar Mira, said that in an “increasing inter connected world, national security, border management and public safety are no longer challenges that any country can face alone”.

Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Immigration, Governance and Labour, Tanya Santos, said that the new technology will provide immigration officers with the ability to “identify certain red flags, be it in behaviour, patterns of travellers that would allow them to submit someone to secondary screening where their bio-data will be captured”.

“This database is one of the world’s largest biometric databases…We have countries from all over the world providing information, and we are sharing it with our partners like Belize,” Charge’ D’Affaires at the US Embassy in Belize, Catherine Beamer, added.

However, Opposition legislator Patrick Faber told a news conference that the party is questioning the agreement.

“A year ago, we saw the prime minister (John Briceno) sign an agreement with the US Government about sharing bio data information, and up to now, we have not heard any clarification as to what that is,” he said.

Faber added that citizens have to be concerned when they are not being informed by their leaders about the information that is being shared.