An Antiguan and Barbudan has made history by becoming the first national to be appointed to a top immigration post within Caricom the region.
Senior Immigration Officer Joycelyn Hughes will leave the island this weekend to take up a two-year appointment as Border Security Liaison Officer for Caricom’s Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) based in Trinidad & Tobago.
Her appointment came following an offer which was made to her through the government of Antigua & Barbuda.
Hughes, who last held the post of Station Chief in charge of the airport, said she will be directly responsible for all border security protocols and projects within Caricom including immigration and customs matters.
“I will also be providing advice to Caricom officials on the way forward as it relates to border control issues. I would have worked in a similar position a few years ago; that is why they threw out the offer to government,” Hughes said.
The immigration official spent two years in Barbados as Deputy Director of that country’s Joint Regional Communications Centre.
She also participated in a three-week United States Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) which focused on combating trafficking in persons.
Hughes joined the department in 2001 and has served in many capacities including Deputy Chief Immigration Officer.
