Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force

The Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force (TCIBF) is the unified national agency charged with managing and safeguarding the borders of the Turks and Caicos Islands.  Its operational model is Intelligence led with risk base decision making underpinning the overall resource allocation.

Officially launched in 2024, the TCI Border Force replaced two legacy organizations – the former Customs Department and the former Immigration Department – with one Border Force now delivering border-related immigration and customs services.  

The legal framework for the transformation and creation of a new organization came when the Border Force Ordinance came into force in 2024. As the central authority for border control, the TCIBF plays a vital role in upholding national security. This includes enforcing legacy immigration and customs regulations: facilitating the legitimate movement of people and goods into and out of the territory while simultaneously identifying and addressing border related criminality.

The Border Force saw the introduction of a new structure to take advantage of opportunities to more-efficiently use government resources, including the flexing of staff across customs and immigration functions.  It is now normal practice, for example, for Border Force Officers who were previously Customs Officers to respond to information around irregular migrants, and for those staff working at our ports of entry to perform both immigration and customs functions.  The Border Force tackles all threats to our border.

As a part of the restructuring and the move away from the former legacy ‘Customs’ and ‘Immigration’ Departments, the former roles of Collector of Customs and Director of Immigration ceased to exist with the coming-into-effect of the new Border Force Ordinance.  Instead, the powers formerly vested in these posts now sits with the Director General (equivalent to a Permanent Secretary) Mr. Emilio Seymour, who directly oversees five key operational units, each led by Director-level leads, supported by two Deputy Directors and also 7 Assistant Directors assigned across the various functions and islands.

The units that exist under the TCI Border Force are as follows:

1.     Ports Operations: 

Led by a Director of Ports post which is currently vacant and assisted by Assistant Directors Glodeeka Moultrie and Oehlers Higgs, this unit manages all official points of entry, including international airports, seaports (including the Kings Warehouses), K9 unit.

2.     Inland Operations: 

Led by Director Latoya Mitchell and assisted by Deputy Director Michael Francois and Assistant Directors June Harry, Nicola Garland and an additional vacant Assistant Director role, this unit manages all in land law enforcement activities including Customs and Immigration Enforcement, Investigations and Transit Shed operations. The Inland Operations unit also manages the Family Islands of Grand Turk and South Caicos, North & Middle Caicos.

3.     Services Branch:

Led by Director Linda Malcom and assisted by Deputy Director Tito Forbes and Assistant Directors Throy Forbes and Denise Robinson, this unitoversees a wide range of administrative and regulatory functions, including Visa and Residence Permit Processing, Government Stamps, Extension of Visits and all Front office Operations, Detention and Repatriation Operations, Entry Processing, Concessions, Duty Free, and Bonded Wearhouse.

4.     Corporate Branch:

Led by Acting Director Myrlchina Lewis, thus ensures the internal effectiveness and sustainability of the Border Force. It is responsible for finance, human resources, IT systems, AMLC, Risk Management, Assurance, Communications & Public Relations, Learning & Development, and compliance, making it the backbone of the organization’s long-term capacity and performance.

5.     Intelligence Branch:

Supporting the operational arms of the agency, Intel collects and analyses information to identify emerging risks and threats to border security, Digital Forensics, and Drone unit. By providing actionable intelligence, this branch enables proactive enforcement operations and strategic decision-making, often in collaboration with regional and international partners.

Together, these five branches all directly overseen by the Director General, form a cohesive, intelligence-led organization committed to safeguarding the sovereignty, security, and economic interests of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The TCI Border Force is guided by six core values; Service Excellence; Accountability; Empowerment; Leadership; Integrity and Professionalism.

The creation of the TCI Border Force presents an opportunity to change the way we work to develop and professionalize border services in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and to stay ahead of changing threats to our border.