Head of the Governor’s Office, Matthew Forbes, welcomed over 20 participants from the Department of Immigration’s Enforcement team and Immigration Appeals Tribunal (IAT) to a two week intensive course on immigration and asylum on Monday.

Dealing effectively with migration and asylum is key to national security, but migration also plays a significant role in Cayman’s development. Speaking to participants, Mr. Forbes stressed the importance of this training to ensure that asylum applications are dealt with quickly, fairly and professionally.

The Governor’s Office worked closely with UK Visas and Immigration (UKV&I) and the Ministry of Home Affairs to develop a course specific to issues affecting the Cayman Islands. ‘Working in partnership with UKV&I we have been able to focus the training on particular areas of interest to the Cayman Islands,’ explained Michael Ebanks, Acting Deputy Chief Officer (Security & Public Safety Division), Ministry of Home Affairs, ‘that will better equip caseworkers with the knowledge and tools to deal with the growing number of asylum requests’.

The training is intended to provide a clear understanding of the UN refugee conventions, the legal basis for asylum claims and a structured approach to assessing credibility, evidence and material facts. The course is being delivered by an experienced UKV&I trainer in asylum cases.

Deputy Governor, Franz Manderson, expressed his gratitude to UKV&I for their assistance stating, ‘this type of collaboration is vital to enhance the effectiveness of operations in the Cayman Islands. I am delighted that the enforcement team and the IAT are able to take advantage of the opportunity afforded to us to gain further skills and knowledge in the area of asylum’.