Minister of Home Affairs and Information, Wilfred Abrahams. Photo: Shanice King)

Minister of Home Affairs and Information Wilfred Abrahams, speaking during the launch at the department on Princess Alice Highway, The City, said it was aimed at improving customer service, reducing in-office waiting times and increasing overall efficiency.

The online entry visa application portal will be available for travellers requiring a visa to enter Barbados and be accessible on the department’s official website, streamlining the process and making it faster and more convenient for global travellers.

Abrahams said that since March 14 this year, the public has been able to pay online for all immigration services, including the ones that did not transition to a digital platform, reducing the wait time and the need for an in-person visit to complete payments.

He said applicants could now pay a fee of $16 to have their completed passports, citizenship and permanent resident documents delivered directly to them via the Barbados Postal Service courier, minimising the need to return to the Immigration Department.

“We remain committed in the ministry and through the Immigration Department to the digital transformation of all services, moving from paper-based to online services, with a focus on the applicant’s experience and ensuring that the systems are secure, accessible and efficient,” the minister said.

“In our vision, at the end of our completion of this process, you will only have to come into the Immigration Department if there’s an absolute need to verify who you are, to do a personal interview for more information or something that indicates national security issues.”

He also addressed what he said was the recent uptick in fake news circulating across social media platforms. He strongly urged individuals who came into contact with fake news of any kind to report it to the recently launched reportfakenews@barbados.gov.bb.

Fake news

Only last week, fake news was circulating across social media that the United States Embassy had issued a Level 4 security alert travel advisory, recommending its citizens not to travel to Barbados due to the crime situation.

“It takes so much out of our processes for us to have to be chasing down these stories and trying to respond to them and it’s not just internal to Barbados . . . . Those fake stories damage our integrity and it damages the credibility of Barbados locally and internationally. It’s going to impact our tourism product which is the major money earner,” Abrahams said.

“I’m asking persons, please check with the legitimate sources before spreading things that appear sensational or appear to be a radical change of policy in the Government of Barbados, or appear to be something so major that it makes no sense.

“It is very difficult from this end for us to be battling that when we have other things to do to service the people of Barbados and to run our departments. For the persons who are doing it, it’s malicious and counterproductive,” he said. (