International Roundup
His
Majesty Sultan of Brunei has agreed to the Amendment of the Immigration Act
Order 2005. According to Brunei Direct, this amendment states that anyone
caught harboring offenders will receive a prison sentence of a maximum of two
years, or a fine ranging from $3,000 to $6,000, or both. Any further
violations of this act will result in imprisonment of up to a maximum or four
years, or a fine between $6,000 and $12,000, or both. In addition to these
penalties, the Immigration and National Registration Department will be working
in conjunction with law enforcement agencies to inspect areas where immigrants
are suspected to be hiding.
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The
UAE’s Gulf News recently reported
that a new rule for passport photos in Great Britain will soon come into effect.
The new rule will require pictures in which the person photographed does
not smile. Non-smiling photos would
be used as part of the new biometrics databases and would make it easier for
customs officials to recognize the individuals from their passport.
This rule would also ensure that British citizens can continue to
participate in the United States’ visa waiver program.
Among other requirements for the new photos are the stipulations that the
background be either off-white, cream, or light gray and that the face cover
65-75% of the picture. These new
requirements have been agreed upon by the International Civil Aviation
Organization. Other plans for the
future include adding “e-Passports” that will contain a chip storing facial
image data. Canada has a similar
system already in place.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk.