Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security St. Clair Leacock says the Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record Bill 2026, passed in Parliament on Tuesday, is a critical — if “not the most sexy” — piece of legislation to bolster border security and streamline travel through St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
The law replaced the Advanced Passenger Information Act and established a more expansive framework for the collection, transmission, sharing, storage and regulation of Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) data for people travelling to, from, and through SVG.
It is part of a CARICOM-wide model law aimed at harmonising regional security and border control regimes.
Leacock, who has ministerial responsibilities for immigration, told lawmakers that 32,000 people arrived in and departed from SVG in March, with similar volumes in February, including over 11,500 air arrivals and nearly 12,000 departures.
He said such volumes carry “a huge responsibility” for a “little” country, underscoring the need for modern systems to manage risks while making travel smoother for legitimate passengers.
Leacock told Parliament that airline passengers have two core concerns: getting through immigration quickly and doing so without compromising safety.
“The advanced passenger information … speaks to all of those conversations,” he said, adding that the new system is designed to address both security and convenience.
Key regional and international entities will pay significnat roles under the new law, including the Trinidad-based CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), which manages the regional API/PNR database and related security systems.
The Joint Regional Communication Centre, which is based in Barbados, handles the operational management of API/PNR data and Interpol and IATA will play a role as part of the broader international security and aviation architecture.
“Air safety and passenger movement is as such … that safety depends invariably on the weakest link of that chain,” Leacock said, adding that each state must “take full responsibility” for its segment of the system.
Leaock highlighted the need for inter-state collaboration on border security, noting the recent incident in Trinidad and Tobago in which a police officer was killed, and over 60 firearms went missing.
The incident prompted authorities in Port of Spain to clamp down on its ports of exit and to warn SVG and other countries to heighten checks on inter-island travellers.
In another case, a police officer was attacked in Grenada and his weapon stolen, and a suspect later turned up in St. Vincent.
Leacock also spoke about $12 million worth of cocaine, in 396 packages, that police intercepted on a boat off the Leeward Coast.
“People who lose $12 million worth of drugs want to come and collect it. And other people have an interest in it, and then who will guard the guards?” Leaock said, adding, “So border security is a very important matter for the peace, security, well being of Vincentians….
“These are not artificial constructions,” he said. “They are real-life situations.”
He said that under the law, “border security” means protecting national borders from illegal movement of weapons, drugs, contraband and people, while facilitating lawful trade and travel.
The law seeks meant to ensure that by the time a passenger boards an aircraft, authorities at the destination “know who you are, what you’re looking for, and what risk or lack of risk you may present.”
The law imposes specific obligations on aircraft and vessel captains or their agents to submit API and PNR in defined formats, through the CARICOM electronic manifest single window.
There are strict timelines for pre-departure and pre-arrival submissions to allow for risk assessment and aldo for the verification and correction of inaccurate data by authorities.
The law provides for confidential handling of all data, with access restricted to designated agencies and only on written request and approval by the competent authority.
The law also grants individuals a right to request access to their API data to verify accuracy and provides mechanisms to challenge or correct data and to seek redress where mistakes occur, such as mistaken identity cases.
The national security minister said the law was being passed within the context of a wider technological shift in global travel and security.
He referred to briefings by Caribbean Bank Note, the company that produces SVG Passport booklet, on emerging biometric and electronic passport technologies, including chip-enabled documents designed for machine reading and long shelf life.
Leaock said the government plans to expand processing capacity at Argyle International Airport, to include self-service kiosks where travellers could scan their phones and documents to complete formalities more quickly.
