I travel in and out of barbados often here are the facts:

1. Our immigration officer simply need retraining and sorry to say the ladies more them the men… Some of our female immigration officers are so filled with attitude it sometimes overflows their booths.

2.black, white, or green visiting Barbados on a US or UK passport get no better treatment as I have observed…. It’s all poor.

3.there is the strong existence of the civil servIce mentality at the airport generally, and it’s totally out of control.

I get the impression that because someone was born in Barbados that they think that they should be immune from all border control checks.. How dare the Immigration Officer ask me that question? Doesn’t he know that I am from Barbados? My navel string bury here and I can come and go whenever I please.

Why don’t you ask that American/Canadian/Chinese….. pick a nationality….. where he from? Yuh betta haul yuh ass.

The grass is always greener on the other side.

David

Machine readable Passports or not that is not the be all or end allof the Immigration Officer’s job. You think that Americans or Canadians don’t under go the same hassles when they return top their countries?

Some time ago I travelled to Barbados and the Immigration Officer spotted a typographical error in my passport ( issued by another country) that I hadn’t noticed. She spotted this by simply asking me a question, I had used this passport to enter other countries and I used it to enter the USA after that encounter. The error was made at the Passport Issuing Office and could have prevented my entry into these countries.

I renewed that Passport this year prior to another trip to Barbados and pointed out the error to the issuing Office. On my visit to Barbados I was treated with the utmost respect by the Immigration Officer that doesn’t mean that some of the questions aren’t annoying but we spend so much time quibbling bout minor inconveniences is it any wonder that the big issues go abegging?.

I am not sure if some of the statements and views purported by the bloggers are all true about the modus opernadi of our immigration officials. I am a frequent flyer in and out of Barbados. I have never really encountered a problem in the Caricom and returning nationals section. The lines from my recollection are never that long and the processing of passport information and related documentation if acquired takes a very short time. What I have a problem with is the manner in whch my bags are extensively searced whilst I watch tourist just waltz along without a single search.

Also I am not expecting an immigration officer to be all smiley and nice but I do expect them to be professional in the execution of their duty. Now in parts of Europe and US where I travelled frequently the facial expressions of these workers are for the most part, if not all of the time. very serious and focus. This may be due the seriousness of the job and the fact that conveyance of a serious disposition is to dispel any notions held by guilty individuals that the use of tact and persuasion to con their way out of a suspicious situation that may result in their deportation or arrest, will not work.

There are times when I have observed these officials in a more pensive mood, gesturing to the children of tourist in a friendly way as well as extending well wishes and welcomes to both locals and tourist alike. Maybe the encounters posted by some are a few bad occasions but those cannot be translated as the norm behaviours with Barbadian Immigration Officials. That brush in my opionion paints too big a negative picture.

At no time has the blog mentioned behaviour.

The thrust of the message is the system of processing returning Bajans.

For those of you have not encountered the delay in clearing immigration and customs you should try landing on the days when you can have Virgin, BA, Air Canada, AA, CAL and others spilling passengers.

Let us toss out Crop Over which gets rediculous.

A dedicated line for Barbados citizens (taxpayers) will enhance the improvement which David so correctly recommends. If there is no dedicated line for Barbados Citizens, even with the improvement suggested, there will always be delays for Barbados citizens traveling on Barbados passports standing on a line which includes Caricom nationals who may have entry problems. No Trinidadian stands in line behind a non citizen at Piarco. Personally, I have not encountered delays or negativity with Immigration or customs officers in Barbados. I have always found them to be conscientious, efficient and courteous.

There is such a thing as a forged Barbados Passport. People will never be satisfied ever. If they greeted you with smiles, you would say the smiles are false or not big enough.

Just get over yourselves.

jack spratt | July 10, 2011 at 10:39 AM |
I am sorry but my experience has been totally different to what is mainly being alleged here…passport taken, checked, a smile, “have a nice day/night”, on to luggagr and customs in 2 minutes or less.

For the last 25/30 years I’ve been travelling out of the island on average 3 times a year and have always encountered experiences similar to yours.
Not very long ago travelling on a foreign passport (Dual Nat) I approached the Residents and Citizen’s Line at Immigration of the country of issue of the passport, only to be shouted at by an immigration officer, “GET IN THE OTHER LINE,” indicating the one for Visitors. I smiled and complied . Even the so called big countries have their prejudices and inefficiencies.

Bajans always the meek souls.

Submitted on 2011/07/10 at 12:47 PM

A dedicated line for Barbados citizens (taxpayers) will enhance the improvement which David so correctly recommends. If there is no dedicated line for Barbados Citizens, even with the improvement suggested, there will always be delays for Barbados citizens traveling on Barbados passports standing on a line which includes Caricom nationals who may have entry problems. No Trinidadian stands in line behind a non citizen at Piarco. Personally, I have not encountered delays or negativity with Immigration or customs officers in Barbados. I have always found them to be conscientious, efficient and courteous.

I travel in and out of Barbados maybe 3 or 4 times a year, sometimes on a Barbados passport (issued in Barbados) and sometimes on a passport issued by another country sometimes called (tongue in cheek maybe) the great white north at all times I am processed quickly and courteously.

But I am always courteous to Immigration staff, and I always have the correct documents in hand, correctly filled out.

I’ve only once spent 2 hours in an Immigration line, and that was at Miami airport and then I was travelling with a large group, including dozens of children travelling without their parents. So yes Immigration there checked very carefully to ensure that all was well. Can’t blame them for being very careful.

@Jack Spratt

We are familiar with your comprehension skills. The system which currently exist that Barbadians have to wait one second longer than necessary is an affront to what is Bajan. We are coming home for chrisakes. It is why we question why the fact we have machine readable passports is not being maximized.t that Barbadians have to wait one second longer than necessary is an affront to what is Bajan. We are coming home for chrisakes. It is why we question why the fact we have machine readable passports is not being maximized.

the last time I travelled to barbados I met a very nice customs officer a man, but the previous time I met with a woman officer, she was very mean and looked at my passport and looked at me, and then the questions started, how long you staying here, who and where are you staying at mam? and what is the address, to hell with those questions, if a born bajan that is s US citizen or citizen of another country wants to stay in barbados for a long long time no one can stop them, so those questions are baseless, my son that was born in the US, he gets better treatment than me, and he was born in the US, they treat him really good, which I was very happy to know. I think its because custom officer know they cant be fired too easily cause they got those unions to encourage them in bad behavior, but at least have some manners. If you guys gonna treat the white people nice, treat your own people just the same, we only coming from another soil, no big deal.

@ David, you are misinformed, a machine reader can detect forgery if there is a mistake in the machine readable zone. These days the algorithm used to get those numbers in your passport is readily available to forgers. Once the numbers are correct, no errors are detected. That’s why inspection with the eye is still required, looking for bad print quality and other things.

But many Bajans on the whole do not like to join an orderly queue. It seems to rattle them . Take the PSV’s for example, they have caused the Ministry of Transport technocrats to introduce the Jam Buster and scrap the ED Mottley Roun-a-bout at the bottom of Bishop Courts Hill. Jam Busting now appear to be part of our culture, and many visitors have complained about waiting in a queue only to have a local barge ahead and demand service,which he often gets.
But can you imagine, travelling from England , Canada or America, spending hours at one of those airports before boarding, spending at least another 4 hours in the air in the case of Canada and the USA, then landing at Grantley Adams and expecting express VIP treatment at the drop of a hat.

Peoples do you understand the meaning of BORDER PATROL.
These officers are not there to smile and allow whoever to come through. As for especially citizens who are returning why can’t the officer enquirer after your intended address. They don’t ask the question for their address book. It is a question on the entry/exit form. We sit on a plane or ship for however long and expect to enter a country without being questioned? Even so unless you are a business person without luggage, whenever you leave immigration you still have to wait on your luggage.
Hell we place our money in the bank and if you don’t show the correct documentation you can’t get one red cent.

Furthermore blame government for lack of equipment at the ports of entry. What’s wrong with finger print checks and eye ball recognition.

Don’t you know that when we purchase a tickets to travel to the developed countries the name of the intended traveler is sent to the relevant agencies. By the time you land it is plain sailing, and even so you may be randomly questioned. Get the authorities to upgrade the systems.

You think officers feel good going about their duties and knowing that it is so thankless a job?

As a citizen I’m comfortable knowing that they have detained the traveler a few minutes for control than to allow a free for all and something untoward happens then for all sorts of problems arise.

Think on these things.

Bajans are chronic complainers.I live in Toronto and for years travelled home with a Barbados passport that was expired in 1976.The only comment I got was we can’t stamp your passport as it is expired.When I was on my way home last November I was processed by a female in one minute or less.Try a bustrip from Toronto to the US with a Canadian passport and waiting for three hours or more at the border and having immigration treating you like an intruder.Could be some peoples’ attitudes are reflected in the treatment they receive.