COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR ICE OFFICERS STERMAN AND

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000931

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR DS/CR/CIL
CUSTOMS FOR ICE ATTACHE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC OTRA CVIS VC
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR ICE OFFICERS STERMAN AND
BROWN TO ESCORT CHARLESWORTH BROWNE A036754901 TO ANTIGUA AND
BARBUDA

REF: ICE Cable 111520Z JUL 07


1. Embassy Bridgetown grants country clearance for ICE Officers
Matthew Sterman and Michael Brown to escort deportee Charlesworth
Browne to Antigua and Barbuda on July 23-24, 2007.


2. Embassy point of contact is A/RSO Eric Freeman at Embassy
Bridgetown Tel: 1-246-436-4950, x4173, or Fax: 1-246-227-4240,
E-mail: FreemanEJ@state.gov. For 24-hour contact please access the
Embassy number and extension 4066. RSO understands that further
Embassy assistance is not required.


3. Post's resources do not allow us the flexibility to meet and
assist visitors at the airport. However, Antiguan Customs and
Immigration are visitor-friendly. The exchange rate is
approximately $2.70 XCD (Eastern Caribbean) dollars for $1.00 USD.
You should bring enough U.S. Dollar bills to pay the taxi. U.S.
currency, traveler's checks, and credit cards are routinely and
widely accepted here.


4. Entry requirements: A valid U.S. passport is required to enter
Antigua. No visa is required if your stay is under six months,
including those travelers arriving with diplomatic or official
passports. For further information, travelers may contact the
Embassy of Antigua, 3216 New Mexico Avenue N.W., Washington D.C.
20016 TEL: 202-362-5122, FAX 202-362-5225.


5. Departure tax for Antigua is $50.00 XCD (Eastern Caribbean)
dollars or $19.00 USD.


6. Restrictions: The laws of Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, St.
Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, and St. Kitts and Nevis prohibit
non-military personnel from wearing any articles of camouflage
clothing. Immigration officers in these countries randomly check
visitor's baggage on arrival at the airport; if items of restriction
are found, you will be asked to surrender them to the officers.


7. ICASS TDY Policy: Each visitor, regardless of length of stay,
must bring/forward fiscal data to pay for direct costs of the visit.
Each agency, organization or visiting delegation will be charged
for the actual costs attributed to its visit. Direct charge costs
include, but are not limited to: airport transportation and
expediting; driving services; American and LES overtime (for such
services as airport expediting, cashier accommodation exchange,
control room staffing, representational event support); travel and
per diem costs incurred by post personnel in support of visitor's
field travel; rental of vehicles and other equipment; long distance
telephone calls; office supplies, procurement/small purchasing;
departure tax and other airport fees. Post will not provide service
if fiscal data is not provided for the direct charges.

For TDYers remaining at post over 30 days, there is a charge for
ICASS support services. This charge is for the following ICASS
services: Basic Package, CLO and Health Services. Agencies will
not be billed until the accumulated invoice cost for TDY support
exceeds $2,500 for the fiscal year. If your sponsoring agency is
not signed up for ICASS services at post, please be prepared to sign
a Memorandum of Understanding for ICASS support services upon
arrival. The agency should provide post with a written
communication, generated by the traveler's headquarters, that
confirms the agency will pay ICASS charges for the TDYer, provides
the agency ICASS billing code to which the TDY support charges
should be applied, and authorizes the traveler to sign the ICASS
invoice generated by the TDY module. Where travel is urgent, the
TDYer should bring this documentation with him/her to ensure there
are no interruptions in the provision of service. Post will not
provide any service to a TDYer staying in excess of thirty days
without provision of this documentation before day 31 of the TDY."


8. The following is general information pertaining to security and
health considerations throughout the Eastern Caribbean:

SECURITY
--------------
In the Eastern Caribbean, foot travel outside of well-established
tourist areas is not generally recommended, especially at night. Be
vigilant when using public telephones or ATM facilities near
roadsides or quiet areas. As in many U.S. metropolitan areas,
wearing expensive jewelry, carrying expensive objects, or carrying
large amounts of cash should be avoided. Visitors should also
safeguard valuables while at the beach. While hotels are generally
safe, many visitors have experienced loss of unattended items.
Hotel burglaries are not uncommon and all valuables should be locked
in room safes if possible.

HEALTH INFORMATION
--------------


Throughout the Eastern Caribbean, the most likely threat to a
visitor's health is sunburn. It takes several weeks to become
accustomed to the heat and humidity. Prolonged exposure to the sun,
without protection, causes sunburn and may ultimately result in
sun-damaged skin or even skin cancer. Sunscreens should be used for
protection. In Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the
Grenadines the major health threat is dengue fever, transmitted by
mosquito. Dengue cases are most often seen in the summer months.
Persons should therefore protect themselves with insect repellent.
There are a growing number of HIV/AIDS cases reports. The Eastern
Caribbean enjoys clean and safe drinking water. Only routine
boosters for immunization (i.e., tetanus, diphtheria, and oral polio
vaccine) are required when traveling to this region. Barbados has
the best medical facilities of all the islands in the region and
most of the medical specialties have practitioners here.

OURISMAN