Migration Agency director, Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester, announced plans to implement facial recognition technology at border markets to deal with the large number of undocumented persons that enter from Haiti. The goal is to enhance security and regulate the flow of people entering the country for the binational markets. At present hundreds of thousands of people are allowed to enter with no controls as to who comes in and of these who return to Haiti.
Lee Ballester explained the country is contemplating a facial recognition system to allow for real-time identification of individuals, comparing their data with existing migration databases. The technology will also help identify people with legal records or those who have been repatriated from migrant centers that have re-entered.
He said that clear protocols are in place for situations of resistance or aggression from migrants, ensuring respect for the country’s sovereignty and individual rights. Lee Ballester said that the government is committed to ensure proper treatment of migrants, particularly pregnant women, children and adolescents. He said Migration personnel receive training to act with authority, courtesy and respect within the framework of the law.
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Diario Libre
20 February 2025