Cayman Islands concerned over increase in human trafficking

Franz Manderson, Chief
Immigration Officer

Friday, August 26, 2005

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: Increased concern is being expressed in the Cayman Islands over human trafficking, as a number of Chinese nationals reportedly attempted to enter the country recently using false Japanese passports on a vessel from Jamaica, according to the local Immigration Department.

“We can confirm that a vessel carrying people with Japanese passports who were in fact Chinese nationals, tried to enter the country, ” said Chief Immigration Officer Franz Manderson about the incident, which took place on 12 August.

“They claimed they were tourists but they didn’t appear to be genuine tourists. And they said they had travelled by air to Jamaica and then taken a boat to Cayman on holiday. 

Although we have a fair amount of pleasure yachts entering the country it is very unusual for tourists to fly from the UK to Jamaica and then take a boat to the Cayman Islands.” 

Mr Manderson explained that on further examination of their documents, it was determined the photos had been substituted in the Japanese passports and the group was refused permission to land into the county and were returned to the country of origin, which in this case was Jamaica.

“We also notified the authorities in Jamaica,” added Mr Manderson.

Although he could not confirm the exact number of Chinese nationals attempting to enter the country, he approximated it to be five or six. 

Within the same week a Jamaican also tried to enter the country on a forged Dutch passport. He was subsequently arrested.

Although the Jamaican was not necessarily a result of human trafficking, it shows a disturbing trend of foreigners using the Cayman Islands as a transit point according to Mr Manderson.

Moreover, illegal migrants gravitate toward countries that allow them in, and fake passports are increasingly sophisticated and more difficult to detect, a relatively new phenomenon for the Cayman Islands.

However, Mr Manderson said that immigration officers on the frontline are becoming more vigilant in detecting illegal documents as they obtain more information.

On 7 February this year a group of six Chinese nationals and two Singapore nationals were detained after entering the United States having passed through Grand Cayman using false travel documents to Tampa, Florida. 

Investigations followed into suspected human trafficking, but there was not enough evidence to prosecute.

In May, two people from Albania and a Ukrainian using fake Dutch passports travelled to Jamaica and Grand Cayman before flying to Canada where they were apprehended by Immigration authorities there. 

And there have been numerous other nationals from Central America that have been arrested trying to enter the country. 

The increasing number of people using fake documents to enter the Cayman Islands has raised questions that the country may have become attractive to those who deal seriously in the business of human trafficking, especially those attempting to bypass the increasing restrictions of US Homeland Security. 

The Cayman Islands' reputation as a wealthy jurisdiction as well as its proximity to the United States is clearly drawing the attention of unwelcome serious criminals who appear to feel the Cayman Islands may be a suitable destination for their purposes.

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