HE the Governor, Peter Beckingham, spent the morning with officials from the Ministry of Border Control and Labour in Providenciales yesterday, Monday 21 July. Accompanied by the PS of the Ministry, Ms Clara Gardiner, the Governor visited several facilities to see first-hand the work of staff dealing with employment and immigration matters in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The morning began with a tour the Ministry’s offices where Governor Beckingham spoke to employees of the Employment Services, the One Stop Shop, Registration and Citizenship Department and Immigration Department. This was followed by site visits to both the detention centre in Five Cays and the coastal radar station.
“The staff of the Ministry of Border Control and Labour are vital to the security and prosperity of TCI, and it was a privilege to meet some of these hard-working men and women,” commented the Governor. “They have some of the most important jobs in the Islands as they look to strengthen the workforce, eliminate illegal immigration and welcome the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit these shores every year.”
Ms Gardiner added “The Ministry’s staff are an asset to TCI’s civil service, and it was a pleasure to introduce a number of them to the Governor. Their professionalism and dedication, often in the face of considerable challenges, is to be commended.”
While responsibility for border control and immigration lies with the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, the UK has contributed in excess of $750,000 in the last two years to support efforts in the area. This has included $330,000 towards the coastal radar station construction (considered one of the most sophisticated facilities in the region,) forgery detection equipment and a series of capacity building projects that have provided TCIG staff with immigration training and secondment opportunities with their counterparts in the UK.
