|
|
|
| April 10, 2006 | Monday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 11, 1427 |
World Cup 2007: Immigration bill may be taken up by hosts
BRIDGETOWN, April 9: Parliaments in the nine countries hosting the 2007 cricket World Cup will soon likely take up legislation to expedite the immigration process for visitors attending matches. The CWC 2007 Bill would allow fans traveling to the matches to go through the immigration process only once — in their initial port of entry into one of the host countries.
The World Cup's legal committee has approved a draft of the bill, which it will send to the countries as a model to work off of, said Derek Jones, the World Cup's senior legal counsel.
The free flow of cricket fans could be facilitated by putting a special stamp in their passports, Jones said, noting that this area hadn't yet been worked out.
The countries -- Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia, Grenada, Antigua, St Kitts, Trinidad, Guyana and St Vincent -- will have to approve the legislation since there is no regional authority.
Organizers expect about 100,000 visitors for the 51-match World Cup, which will be held for the first time in the Caribbean.
The legislation -- which should be approved no later than November -- would expire on June 30, 2007, about two months after the World Cup ends, Jones said.
The bill also covers venue management, security, and crowd and traffic control. —AP
|
|
|
|
