| Subject: E
Timorese immigration checks expected to resume in January
East Timorese immigration checks expected
to resume in January
DILI, East Timor, Dec 28 (AFP) -
Immigration checks are expected to resume at East Timor's main airport and
port sometime in January, United Nations officials said Tuesday.
"We are hoping to have people
working there within the next month," said Claude Malette, of the
border control unit with the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor
(UNTAET).
The first checks will be "fairly
basic," said Ross Ballantyne, the unit's director.
Visas will not be required for entry to
East Timor -- the territory has no embassies to issue them -- but
immigration officers will be "screening, questioning,
identifying" visitors, Ballantyne said.
"At this stage maybe there will be a
time limit for stay put on," he said.
Visitors to East Timor can now simply
walk off their aircraft or boat without being stopped or checked by
anyone.
UNTAET is waiting for other countries to
send customs and immigration inspectors to get the system started,
Ballantyne said.
Australian has committed itself but
negotiations are continuing over the level of support, he said.
In a model to be used in East Timor's
police service as well, local East Timorese will later work with the
international officers.
"We would be letting them do the
work alongside the international officers and then ultimately they would
take over," Ballantyne said.
UNTAET is administering East Timor for
two or three years until the country officially becomes independent.
The UN is presently reviewing the resumes
of about 90 East Timorese who formerly worked for the Indonesian
immigration and customs service, Ballantyne said.
"I would expect that in the long
term that we would probably employ most of those officers,"
Ballantyne said.
While the days of unhindered entry to
East Timor are about to end it will likely take longer for the inspectors
to start collecting duty.
"At the beginning we might not be
able to implement the tax imposition but we are working on that to have it
as soon as possible because it is one of the revenue sources,"
Malette said.
UNTAET began administering East Timor on
October 25 after the Indonesian officially recognised the results of the
UN held ballot in the territory on August 30.
East Timorese overwhelmingly voted for
independence from Indonesia, which invaded the former Portuguese colony in
1975.
During Indonesian rule, visitors were
required to show passports on arrival at Dili's airport even though
Indonesia claimed East Timor as its 27th province.
A uniformed East Timorese immigration
guard was usually accompanied at his counter by plainclothes Indonesian
police who noted the visitor's occupation and where he was staying.
Back
to December Menu
World Leaders Contact List
Human Rights Violations in East Timor
Main Postings Menu
Note: For those who would like to fax "the
powers that be" - CallCenter V3.5.8, is a Native 32-bit Voice Telephony software
application integrated with fax and data communications... and it's free of charge!
Download from http://www.v3inc.com/ |
