‘Need To Resolve Bermuda’s Passport Issue’

December 4, 2018

Premier David Burt and Minister Walton Brown met with Her Majesty’s Passport Office in London where they discussed the “urgent need to resolve Bermuda’s passport issue.”

A Government spokesperson said, “Earlier today, during the Joint Ministerial Council meetings in London, Premier the Hon. David Burt, JP, MP and Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Hon. Walton Brown, JP, MP, met with Her Majesty’s Passport Office after forcefully putting forward the urgent need to resolve Bermuda’s passport issue.”

Premier Burt stated, “Today’s meeting moved us closer to resolving the long-standing problem of Bermuda passports being printed and issued in the United Kingdom.

“We met with officials from HM Passport Office and left with assurances that this important matter will be addressed. Minister Brown and I will continue to push until an acceptable solution is in place.”

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Comments (31)

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  1. Hmmm says:

    Of all the matters that we need to resolve and discuss this sits pretty low on the priority list. They seem to be unable to get their prioritizes right. I remain disappointed.

    • Dark Star says:

      Actually this is a matter I as a Bermudian wish they would sort out-the OBA sure did no one favors. If you have a ‘new ‘ Bermuda passport and travel to places outside of the USA then you will know how much of a pain the passport issue actually is. Glad to see somebody finally addressing the issue!

      • Um Um Like says:

        The OBA didn’t fix this issue, however they didn’t cause it. DrEB caused this issue when he brought the uighurs to Bermuda. So really, the current plp administration is fixing one of the many things that the previous plp administration screwed up.

        If only they could fix the economy…

        • Sam says:

          Oh My God !!! How on Earth could this have anything to do with the Uighurs ?? It just amazes me how ignorant some people really are…..

    • frank says:

      I think this is a very important to Bermudians it is not so much about where the passports are printed but to make sure that the BMu code is printed in them this should be a simple thing to do

      • PBanks says:

        ^This. This would not be an issue if Britain abided by the same process that was done when Bermuda printed the passports. For whatever reason, the UK isn’t budging.

    • Lighthouse says:

      You obviously have not been affected. I am most grateful that the Premier and minister are dealing with this. I await a resolution. Thank you!

  2. Correct says:

    Ok so what does that really mean? Timeframe? Process? Sounds like you are trying to justify your trip to the UK!!

  3. DeOnion says:

    This tells us nothing – looks like grandstanding from burt but why is brown there?????!!!!!

    • wahoo says:

      Why are either of them there? This is hardly urgent and a huge waste of money for the tax payer. I guess they enjoyed the flights in business class which I hear is very nice.

  4. Stevie says:

    Another wasted taxpayers trip.

  5. Sister Grace says:

    That is all they know how to do raise taxes and spend money and talk a bunch of nothing.

  6. Time Shall Tell says:

    You guys are funny, if they did nothing then you would complain that they aren’t being proactive. They do something & you say there are other things to worry about. Guess what, there’ll always be other things to worry about, if you don’t tackle any matters because there are other things to worry about then nothing will ever get accomplished.

  7. Another person says:

    Last time I checked, they were a type of BRITISH passport. They should be printed in the UK.

  8. cpm says:

    Just pay $14.00 for a 2 year visa for US entry

  9. Retro says:

    Groan. Why not concentrate on domestic issues like ensuring vulnerable children have rights to legal representation.

  10. Let’s Go Bermuda says:

    Poli-trick and a WASTE of money…your time could have been much better spent…here we go pleasing the voter at ALL COST!!! Wake up Bermuda!

  11. legalgal says:

    What’s the actual “problem”. It takes me 6 days door to door to renew my UK passport which I’m told is much quicker than it used to be having them processed on the Island. So the actual printing of passports is not the problem.

  12. MM says:

    Do we not have the technology , machinery , to do them here and upgrade for the 21st century. Do the folks in Britian also have a six week waiting period

  13. Chauncey says:

    It is IMPOSSIBLE to print new passports in Bermuda. It is not a simple case of asking Bermuda Press or Island Press to run off 50,000 blank passports and have them with a name on them. Do some research. High tech printing and a machine that could do that would cost MILLIONS. In the end the passport would be a joke and would not even get as far as the first US Border inspection. Even UK is planning to print passports to be made in France.

  14. Chauncey says:

    UK launches ‘world’s most secure passport’

    03/11/15

    By Craig Guthrie, deputy editor

    LONDON – Senior British government officials launched a new passport in London on Tuesday featuring images of iconic British arts and science figures and unique new security features designed to prevent forgery and tampering.

    The document has design flourishes such as London underground stations that are only visible under infrared light and 3D watermarks of Shakespeare, but officials stressed that the most important task was ensuring the document was secure as possible.

    “I believe it is the most secure passport in the world,” said Mark Thomson, Passport Office Director General, told SecurityDocumentWorld.com at the passport’s launch in the Globe Theatre in London today. “These are also the most intricate designs and security features that have ever been included in a British passport.”

    “The UK passport has an international reputation as a trusted and secure travel document, and we work tirelessly to stay one step ahead of the criminals who attempt to abuse the UK’s immigration laws,” said UK Minister for Immigration, James Brokenshire at the event.

    Although there have been no changes to the ePassport chip inside, in what the HMPO says is a world first, the passport features a continuous personal details page that is perforated with holes – meaning that any attempt to tamper with see it instantly disintegrate.

    The details page is a key target for fraudsters, because the ePassport chip embedded in the document is too secure for the vast majority of prospective fraudsters to tackle.

    Meanwhile, embedded into each of the visa pages is a new 3D watermark of William Shakespeare and a bright, 2D watermark of a writer’s scroll, quill and the page number. There is also embedded security fibres that consist of blue and red alternative bands. When exposed to UV light, each segment fluoresces a different colour.

    Cutting-edge inks and printing techniques have also been handed an important role, with Intaglio, infrared, UV and Gemeni security inks all used in various sections of the document.

    For instance, the four flowers of the British isles nations are shown on the personal details page, but under different lights, certain flowers become invisible – the same is true of ordinance maps and London underground maps on visa pages.

    Uniquely, in a nod to new legal requirements that demand non-trained employers and landlords check passports – the document has a page detailing the broad aspects of security features so anyone can check the document’s authenticity.

    In-keeping with the focus on Britain’s cultural achievements, the document features images of John Constable, the painter; John Harrison, the inventor of the marine timekeeper; Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the architect; Charles Babbage, the inventor; and Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor. It also features Elisabeth Scott, the architect, and Ada Lovelace, regarded as one of the first computer programmers.

    • Kathy says:

      How is it that the Irish passport office can open passport applications online that you can pay for, upload a photo, print off and mail in a matter of a few minutes? I am certain their passports are no less effective or less secure than the British passports. We need convenience as well as security.

  15. Chauncey says:

    Have a look at the Canada passport. Print these in Bermuda? NO!

    Features of the passport

    Since July 1, 2013, all new Canadian passports are issued as electronic passports, or ePassports. .

    The personal information pages (pages 2 and 3) include:
    1.Digital photo
    The passport holder’s photo is digitally printed and embedded into the page. It also appears on the electronic chip.
    2.Digitally-printed information
    The personal data is digitally printed and embedded in the page and cannot be removed or erased. The information shown on page 2 is also stored on the electronic chip (except for the place of birth).
    3.Laminate
    Holographic images are embossed in the thin-film laminate used to secure the information page. These images can be viewed by tilting the booklet in reflected light.
    4.Special ink
    There is “Optically variable ink” that changes colour under different lighting.
    5.ePassport symbol
    This symbol represents that this is an ePassport, which means it contains an embedded electronic chip.
    6.Secondary photo
    A copy of the passport holder’s photo appears in greyscale.
    7.See-through register
    The letters “CAN” appear when looking through the page.
    8.Machine-readable zone
    The last two lines at the bottom of the page are the machine-readable zone, which repeats the passport holder’s personal information and passport details in a special format.

  16. Carlton says:

    start with equal rights for all then passports for all its not a dictatorship

  17. Homeward bound says:

    Why all the fuss, thought you all wanted independence!! Anyway.

  18. J Austen says:

    Burt and Brown will undoubtedly find a way to scupper any reasonable solution – mainly because they will see this as one more argument for independence, but let’s not forget the latter’s utter incompetence to run anything.

  19. lol says:

    And these guys want to go independent AHAHAHAA. Use this as a slight glimpse of what life would be like should Bermuda go independent.

  20. question says:

    Will you lot STOP WASTING MONEY? FFS