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GEORGETOWN - The Caribbean Community (Caricom) admitted Thursday hitting "a snag" in issuing common visas in Sydney for Australian and New Zealand cricket fans who want to travel to the region for the 2007 Cricket World Cup but denied fans were being exploited by the cost of the visa.
Caricom's website listing the visa-issuing locations on Thursday stated: "We apologise for the delay in setting up the issuing site in Sydney. Further information will be posted here shortly."
Caribbean nationals who want to travel to Australia have to send their passports to Canada to get visas and the region has spent huge sums to issue special visas in Australia for the World Cup.
Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley assured that the temporary consul would be set up shortly but did not give a date.
"Yes we have hit a snag with the issuing of the CARICOM Special Visa in Australia but we are seeking to resolve the issue as soon as possible. I wish to assure our friends in Australia that this will be ironed out", said Mottley, who chairs Caricom's sub-committee on security.
"We took the decision to establish a temporary physical consular presence in Australia to reduce the inconvenience to Australians and New Zealanders."
Confusion over the availability of the visas in Sydney forced Trinidad and Tobago's Honorary Consul in Australia, Mike Agostini, to resign after he was not repaid for a six-month lease for office space he had secured for Caricom to set up the issuing site in Sydney.
The CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), however, rejected accusations by some Australian and New Zealand fans that the Caribbean was engaged in a cash-grab by charging US$100 ($145) for the special common visa for the period January 15-May 15, 2007.
"Any notion that this is a money-making venture was completely rejected since the revenue raised will barely meet the costs of the acquisition of this Secure Visa Issuance System," IMPACS said in a statement.
Travel agencies in Australia say plans by at least 7000 cricket holidaymakers, who have already spent close to US$1 million, appeared to be in disarray after they could not get the Caricom visas.
They are accusing the Caribbean of discriminating against Australia, New Zealand, India and Pakistan while exempting other countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, and South Africa.
Also exempted are non-cricket-playing nations, like Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands, United States and Italy.
Mottley last month said those countries were exempt because they were the Caribbean's major source of tourists and huge investors.
The Caricom visa is one of several security measures being put in place to minimise the entry of criminals to the Caribbean and facilitate hassle-free movement for the thousands who are expected in the Caribbean for the World Cup.
Once a person has arrived in the region made up of the nine match hosts - Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, St Kitts-Nevis, Grenada, Guyana, St Vincent-Grenadines, Trinidad-Tobago, Dominica and St. Lucia - and is processed, then movement throughout the space may be done with ease as the person needs only to submit an entry-departure card when moving through immigration.
- AFP
