WHILE WE CAN boast about a country that is very safe when compared with many others across the world, it is difficult to deny that on a daily basis it seems as if the world is becoming more and more dangerous.
National security and the protection of Barbadians must therefore engage our undivided attention and all reasonable security protocols must be deployed to maintain our safety. Accordingly, I have no objection to the recently announced plans to subject people entering our shores to fingerprint scans – but Barbadians should be exempted.
As Barbadians, we are not strangers to the system. In fact, we are already known as our information can be easily accessed by local authorities. For example, with a click of the mouse, our credit history, employment records, NIS contributions, tax payments, permanent address, vehicle registration numbers, etcetera can be easily accessed.
Our possession of a passport and the level of background information that was required before issuance by the immigration office should serve as a stark reminder that we are definitely on the grid.
On that note, therefore, I am compelled to ask what more information any agency in Barbados would need to further identify us as Barbadians. Since the answer to this question eludes me, I find it particularly difficult to see reasonable justification in insisting that Barbadians be subjected to fingerprinting scans when they return home.
Security is necessary I believe we can all agree but common sense and the context in which security processes are implemented should also be carefully considered.
– Sean St Clair Fields