Officials within the Immigration Department and the BVI Ports Authority are concerned following a string of incidents in which cruise ship passengers have failed to return to their ships after arriving in the territory.
The issue centres around passengers from the Norwegian Sky cruise ship where five individuals have gone missing over recent visits, prompting discussions between authorities about how to address the situation.
Acting Chief Immigration Officer Nadia Demming-Hodge acknowledged the concerns and explained that the Immigration Department is investigating the issue.
She confirmed that the Department investigates all passengers before they arrive. If anything suspicious is found, they can prevent individuals from disembarking. However, Demming-Hodge admits that some people still “slip through”.
