Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Tallman on November 21, 2013, 06:41:44 AM
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Stay out! - 13 Jamaicans turned away from Trinidad
By Karyl Walker (Jamaica Observer)
IN a direct breach of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, and a snub of a recent ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Trinidadian immigration officers denied 13 Jamaicans entry into that country on Tuesday night, detained them and sent them back home on the first flight yesterday morning.
The Jamaicans were angry when the Jamaica Observer spoke to them immediately after they were processed by immigration officials at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston yesterday afternoon.
They said that their passports were confiscated by the Trinidadians and they were ordered to sit on a wooden bench throughout the night before they were rudely bundled on a Caribbean Airlines flight on which the majority of the Reggae Boyz football team were being flown home after their friendly match at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Among those turned away from her fellow Caribbean Community (Caricom) state was Anne Gordon, who was given the task of chaperoning an 11-year-old girl to see her father who resides in that country with his Trinidadian wife. However, both Gordon and the girl were denied entry, despite carrying Caricom passports.
"She cried all night. They just took our passports and told us we did not meet their entry requirements. If her father lives there why did they refuse the child the chance to see her father?" Gordon questioned.
The child was picture of dejection. "I don't see my father since last year," she said.
In a recent ruling in the landmark case involving Shanique Myrie against the Barbadian Government, the CCJ ruled that where a Caricom national is refused entry into a member state, that national should be given the opportunity to consult an attorney or a consular official of his or her country, or to contact a family member.
The Jamaicans said that they were not allowed to contact anybody nor were they even allowed to use their cellular phones to contact the persons who were waiting outside the Piarco Airport to receive them. They also claimed they were threatened that their phones would be ceased if they attempted to use them.
"When I gave them the number of my sister-in-law, the woman (immigration officer) pretended to make a call and then told me that it was a man on the other end. While she did that I called my sister-in-law, who had invited me to visit her, and got her. I tried to give the immigration officer the phone but she said she was not talking to anyone," Onicia Robinson, one of the Jamaicans denied entry to Trinidad, said.
When the Observer contacted Robinson's sister-in-law, Gillian Leben, she confirmed that she was not contacted by any immigration official in regards to her receiving Robinson. "I was outside the airport with a taxi to pick her up until 4:00 this morning (yesterday) and my phone did not ring. No one contacted me," Leben said.
The CCJ had also ruled that member states should give, promptly and in writing, reasons for refusing entry to Caricom nationals. The receiving state is also obliged to inform the refused national of his or her right to challenge the decision.
The Jamaicans claimed that this was not done, saying that they were threatened to sign a refusal of entry form or spend the night in jail.
"I did not sign any form and I saw when the woman sign the form for me," said Cassandara Douse, who was among the 13.
For Omar Campbell the denial of entry was particularly painful. Campbell showed stamps in his passport to show that he had spent 10 months in that country and to compound matters he is married to a Trinidadian woman. He showed his marriage certificate to prove his claim. "To make matters worse, yesterday was my wife's birthday," Campbell said with a sad look on his face.
The Jamaicans also complained that they were verbally abused and told they were being turned back because of the recent murder of Trinidadian national Keron Fraser, whose body was found in a shallow grave at Duncan's Pen in Spanish Town, St Catherine, recently.
Fraser disappeared on October 18, two days after he arrived in the island from Trinidad.
Police said that, upon arriving in the island on October 16, Fraser, who was in with a female companion, rented a motor vehicle and headed towards an undisclosed location in Clarendon. He was reported missing two days later.
According to the police, a few days after Fraser's disappearance, two men were detained by the police after they were intercepted in the motor car which he had rented. The vehicle had bloodstains, the police said.
In addition, the Jamaicans said they were only given two minutes to use the bathroom when they requested to do so, and security officials followed them to the bathroom.
"They sat and watched us all night and said we are prisoners. Dem don't like Jamaicans and say dem turn us back because we kill Trini in our country," June Henry, who said she was visiting the twin-island republic for a three-week vacation.
The Jamaicans also complained that they were extremely uncomfortable sitting up all night after more than eight hours of travel.
"I had to sleep on a carpet, and we got some raw tasting chicken about 3:00 am," Jodian Davidson said.
For years, Jamaicans have complained that they have been subjected to sub-standard treatment at the hands of Trinidadian airport officials and have advocated a boycott of goods from that country as retaliation for the xenophobic behaviour of the Eastern Caribbean nationals.
Jamaica is a major market for Trinidadian goods and a number of Trinidadians have worked and lived in the country without hassle and in accordance with free movement within Caricom.
A passenger who travelled on the same flight with the denied Jamaicans told the Observer that an airline official informed him that last week 26 Jamaicans were turned back from Trinidad.
There was, however, no confirmation.
A security guard at the Norman Manley International Airport said that he had overheard a number of Jamaicans returning from Trinidad complaining of bad treatment at the hands of Trinidadian officials.
Yesterday, Jamaica's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade raised concerns about the number of Jamaicans who have been denied entry to the twin islands in recent times.
"The ministry is concerned at this development and continues to interface with the relevant authorities in Trinidad and Tobago on the matter, including in the light of the Shanique Myrie ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice," it said in a release.
Airline tickets to Trinidad and Tobago cost between US$520 and US$750 depending on when the ticket is purchased.
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Let's hear the other side of this story before we start pelting aspersions. What the Minister has to say.
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Not good!!
Is this a new PP government policy being executed?
Would be interesting to hear if the same thing is happening to Guyanese as well.
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So what were the officers' instructions? Were they acting on orders or because they feel like it?
This is shameful
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Why are Jamaicans turned back everywhere?
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Dem too facety?
Also, I guess is not just de local press lapsing...
The Jamaicans said that they were not allowed to contact anybody nor were they even allowed to use their cellular phones to contact the persons who were waiting outside the Piarco Airport to receive them. They also claimed they were threatened that their phones would be ceased if they attempted to use them.
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Not good!!
Is this a new PP government policy being executed?
Would be interesting to hear if the same thing is happening to Guyanese as well.
just the indian ones
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Not good!!
Is this a new PP government policy being executed?
Would be interesting to hear if the same thing is happening to Guyanese as well.
just the indian ones
How do you know that?
The only way that will make sense for consistency is if all the Jamaicans who got turned away from T&T were Indo-Jamaicans.
Do you know if any of the Jamaicans who got turned away were Indo-Jamaicans out of interest?
And are you trying to imply that T&T currently has an anti-Indian government because the last time I checked the UNC was the main player in the PP coalition government.
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Disgraceful. If there aren't sacking over this then be careful on your travels
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If the statements as rendered bear veracity, serious consequences should flow.
It is not the remit of immigration officers to make government policy or to engage in actions akin to government policy, or in actions bearing the effect of retaliatory/protesting government action (for instance, such as when governments recall and expel diplomats).
Unfortunately, arbitrary action by immigration personnel is a longstanding area in which abuse of discretion has been kindled by thin skins, petit nationalism and ignorance. Fortunately, we (Caribbean people) are the people we are ... because in other parts of the world, actions such as alleged would have sparked irreparable social upheaval (and would have done so without any confirmation as to truth or falsehood).
However, the truth is it isn't merely a question as to the disposition of Caribbean people. It's also that we don't share borders and are insulated by water. If Jamaica shared a land border with Trinidad & Tobago, see what would have happened next!
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Jamaicans, Indians (from India) and Nigerians are the worst you could ever let in your country. They will run it down.
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Not good!!
Is this a new PP government policy being executed?
Would be interesting to hear if the same thing is happening to Guyanese as well.
just the indian ones
How do you know that?
The only way that will make sense for consistency is if all the Jamaicans who got turned away from T&T were Indo-Jamaicans.
Do you know if any of the Jamaicans who got turned away were Indo-Jamaicans out of interest?
And are you trying to imply that T&T currently has an anti-Indian government because the last time I checked the UNC was the main player in the PP coalition government.
do i really need to explain the response to your comment.
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Jamaicans, Indians (from India) and Nigerians are the worst you could ever let in your country. They will run it down.
Sam, you better than that, man!!!!
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Not good!!
Is this a new PP government policy being executed?
Would be interesting to hear if the same thing is happening to Guyanese as well.
just the indian ones
How do you know that?
The only way that will make sense for consistency is if all the Jamaicans who got turned away from T&T were Indo-Jamaicans.
Do you know if any of the Jamaicans who got turned away were Indo-Jamaicans out of interest?
And are you trying to imply that T&T currently has an anti-Indian government because the last time I checked the UNC was the main player in the PP coalition government.
do i really need to explain the response to your comment.
Yes you do!
Where did you get your info from and how do you know that it is just Indo Guyanese who are being turned away if the same thing is regularly happening to Guyanese that recently happened to the Jamaicans trying to enter T&T?
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Jamaicans, Indians (from India) and Nigerians are the worst you could ever let in your country. They will run it down.
dude what are you saying...i don't know about yardies but indians and nigerians are some of the most entrepreneurial folks out there...also they export loads of professionals in all fields, i for one had a nigerian doctor when i lived in tnt...and that was about 20 yrs ago; also my pardna's mom was a doctor and she was originally from india but settled in trinidad.
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There is now a boycott on in JA not to buy our goods and not to come to Carnival.
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There is now a boycott on in JA not to buy our goods and not to come to Carnival.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20131125/lead/lead1.html
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There is now a boycott on in JA not to buy our goods and not to come to Carnival.
Weary for years in T.O. I have been hearing Jamaicans calling for boycott of anything Trini. The funny thing is that most of their posters claim that our products are inferior to theirs , Trinidadians are jealous of Jamaican success, Trini's have an inferiority complex and all sorts of petty foolishness not worth posting. But very few are asking if the 13 had the right documents to be allowed entry. Not hearing anyone complain about the hundreds that are refused by U.S.A , Canada our UK. I want to see how long this foolishness will last.
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There is now a boycott on in JA not to buy our goods and not to come to Carnival.
Weary for years in T.O. I have been hearing Jamaicans calling for boycott of anything Trini. The funny thing is that most of their posters claim that our products are inferior to theirs , Trinidadians are jealous of Jamaican success, Trini's have an inferiority complex and all sorts of petty foolishness not worth posting. But very few are asking if the 13 had the right documents to be allowed entry. Not hearing anyone complain about the hundreds that are refused by U.S.A , Canada our UK. I want to see how long this foolishness will last.
Good question is our fault they doh manufacture nutten.
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:yawning:
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Did the flight originate in Jamaica? Were the deported 13, the only Jamaicans on the flight?
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There is now a boycott on in JA not to buy our goods and not to come to Carnival.
Let dem boycott our cheap gas and oil too. Let them boycott the aid we give them through the CDB damn fools
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heard that they entered the country with nothing much with them, as in no kinda money or anything to suggest it was ah vacation type trip they come on
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17,000 ILLEGALS
By MIRANDA LA ROSE Tuesday, November 26 2013
AMID reports of growing anger and threats of boycotting TT goods in Jamaica, after 12 nationals of that country were last week barred from entering this country, comes startling revelations from the National Security Minister that close to 17,000 Jamaican nationals are staying illegally in Trinidad and Tobago as their entry certificates have expired.
Documents sent to Newsday from the Office of the Chief Immigration Officer Keith Sampson revealed that for this year, as of November 21, 16,958 Jamaicans are staying illegally in this country.
National Security Minister Gary Griffith last night told Newsday if these undocumented and unregistered Jamaicans are working to maintain themselves, this means they are depriving the state of an estimated $700 million in taxes annually.
According to information from the Ministry of National Security, 81 Jamaicans remain in detention at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) in Aripo while to date, for this year, 66 Jamaicans have been repatriated.
The argument that Jamaicans were being denied entry into this country, Griffith said, is patently false given the high numbers admitted over the past four years and the refusal rate being under five percent annually.
“To date 96 percent of Jamaicans have been allowed free entry into this country and if they want a 100 percent entry rate, it means there will be no need for scrutiny by immigration officers,” Griffith said. Reports from out of Jamaica are that TT Immigration Division refused Jamaica nationals entry into TT, in breach of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which allows for free movement of CARICOM nationals among CARICOM Member States.
The claims are being made against the background of 12 Jamaicans being denied entry on November 19. “The suggestion that Jamaicans are being targetted by TT officials is without basis,” a senior official at the Immigration Department told Newsday.
According to statistics from the National Security Ministry, from 2010 to the present, the Immigration Division report on the number of Jamaicans granted and refused entry noted as being 13,534 (96 percent) Jamaicans were admitted and 594 (or four percent) being refused entry.
In 2010, 10,993 Jamaicans were allowed into TT while 371 were refused (a 3.3 percent refusal rate); in 2011, 13,964 were allowed entry while 597 were denied entry (a 4.1 percent refusal rate); in 2012, 15,871 were admitted while 400 were refused entry (a 2.6 percent refusal rate) and for this year, 13,534 Jamaicans have been allowed into this country as opposed to 594 being denied entry — a 4.2 percent refusal rate.
Efforts to contact Jamaica’s High Commissioner Paula Saunders yesterday at the Jamaican High Commission in Port-of-Spain were futile and calls were not returned.
According to Immigration Division sources the 12 Jamaicans denied entry on November 19 were denied for reasons such as no host (person they will stay with while in TT), no funds, relatives living illegally in TT and previous overstaying illegally in TT.
Immigration sources have complained of the department being short staffed and its Investigations Unit being, “overwhelmed by the number of reports of illegal immigrants received daily.” Griffith told Newsday that the immigration officers have, “separate and legitimate reasons why each of the 12 Jamaicans were sent home” on November 19.
Expressing concern about the number of illegal persons living in TT, Griffith said, “We don’t know if they have turned to a life of crime, if they are begging for money on the streets, or if they have become dependent on the State’s social services.”
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs AJ Nicholson has asked TT’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran to visit Jamaica to discuss the situation even as several groups in Jamaica have threatened to boycott the purchase of goods imported from Trinidad. TT’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is the current head of Caricom.
Anthony Hylton, Jamaicas’ Minister of Industry, Investments and Commerce said while Jamaicans boycotting Trini goods is not the way that country’s Government wants to express its concern over the issue, he said this is a reflection of the outrage being felt by Jamaicans on their country being sent back home.
“We recognise that we have a population that is very incensed by what has happened. I think both governments need to act and act very quickly to deal with a matter that could well go beyond government control,” Hylton said.
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What they go boycott Appletons and AirJamaica?
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Dookeran heads to Jamaica for talks
By Derek Achong (Guardian)
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she has advised Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran to accept an invitation from Jamaica to discuss the recent deportation of 13 of their nationals from T&T last week. “A letter came today of invitation from Jamaica and I have advised him to accept the invitation and to go to Jamaica and speak with his counterparts there,” Persad-Bissessar said. She made the statement while addressing reporters after the unveiling of a new police station in Arima yesterday.
Persad-Bissessar could not give the exact date Dookeran will fly to Jamaica, but said she believed that dialogue was the best way to the resolve the issue. “It appears, from the letter of invitation, Jamaica is open to dialogue, as we are, and therefore I am not of the respectful view that our diplomatic relations have deteriorated,” she said.
When asked about reports of Jamaicans being encouraged to boycott products from T&T, she said: “It is something we would not like see happen, in the same way I am sure Jamaica won’t like to see T&T boycott Jamaican goods, because we are all members of Caricom and I’m sure dialogue is the best way forward rather than dropping blows.”
Persad-Bissessar said from the information she received from National Security Minister Gary Griffith, she believed the immigration officers who took the decision were acting within their discretion. “It seems so far, from the briefing received from immigration through Minister Griffith, that T&T has been well within its discretionary powers in terms of refusing entry or disallowing it, until any further evidence may come forward,” she said.
While referring to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) judgment in the case of Jamaican national Shanique Myrie against the Barbadian government, Persad-Bissessar said although there was a provision for granting Caricom nationals an automatic six-month stay upon entry, there were certain exceptions to the rule.
“There is no blanket acceptance of a Caricom national coming into T&T,” she said. The said from her understanding of the judgment, immigration officials may refuse a Caricom national entry if the individual is blacklisted or if they suspect that they (the individual) would be a “charge on the public purse.” “There is a procedure that should be followed if one is refused entry, so we are looking into all of that with a view of upholding the law as pronounced upon by the CCJ,” she said.
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PM STANDS FIRM
...backs decision to deport 13 Jamaicans
By Joel Julien (Express).
TRINIDAD and Tobago did absolutely nothing wrong in the matter involving the deportation of 13 Jamaican nationals from this country last week, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said.
This according to the official report from this country’s Immigration Division that was presented to her through National Security Minister Gary Griffith, Persad-Bissessar said yesterday.
“Until any further evidence comes forward based on that report it appears we are in compliance with the law,” Persad-Bissessar said yesterday.
Persad-Bissessar has, however, advised Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran to travel to Jamaica in order to have discussions with his “counterparts” there to address the issue.
She has also signalled her intention to hold discussions with Trade Minister Vasant Bharath over the threat of a boycott of Trinidad and Tobago products in Jamaica in response to the matter.
Persad-Bissessar made the statements following the official hand-over ceremony of the Arima Police Station yesterday.
“I have advised Minister Dookeran to accept the invitation, a letter came (yesterday) of invitation from Jamaica to Minister Dookeran and I have asked him to accept that invitation to speak with his counterparts there,” Persad-Bissessar said yesterday.
The invitation to Dookeran from Jamaica came in the wake of 13 Jamaican nationals being deported after being denied entry into this country last week.
The 13 Jamaicans were not allowed to leave the Piarco International Airport after landing there last week Tuesday.
Reports from Jamaica state Trinidad and Tobago’s Immigration Division refused their nationals entry into this country in breach of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which allows for free movement of Caribbean Community (Caricom) nationals among Caricom Member States.
Persad-Bissessar yesterday referenced the recent ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in the Shanique Myrie case to highlight this county’s adherence to all rules.
Myrie had filed a lawsuit against the Barbados government, claiming that on March 14, 2011, she was made to undergo a painful and humiliating body cavity search by a Barbadian border official upon her arrival at the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport from Jamaica.
On October 4, the CCJ awarded Myrie, 25, was a total of Bds$77,240 (TT$232,000) of the Bds$1 million (TT$3.2 million) she had initially sought.
She was awarded costs for the money spent on having an attorney represent her in the case.
Persad-Bissessar said following the CCJ’s ruling in the Myrie matter Caricom issued some guidelines to all the governments of Members States but there are discretions that can be exercised by Immigration officials.
“There are exceptions in terms of when you can refuse entry. Basically, there are several areas which can allow you the authority or the jurisdiction not to grant admission,” Persad-Bissessar said.
Persad-Bissessar said two of these are if the person is blacklisted or if they will be a “charge” on this country’s economy.
“The (immigration) officer then has discretion if this person is coming here to become a charge on the public purse, in other words does he have somewhere to stay, does he have sufficient money for the length of his visit,” Persad-Bissessar said.
“There is no blanket acceptance but there is also, I am being advised, a procedure if you are to refuse entry, there is a suggested procedure that should be followed. So we will be looking into all of that with the view of course of upholding the law as pronounced upon by the Caribbean Court of Justice,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said according to the official information she has received so far, Trinidad and Tobago acted legally.
“It seems thus far from what I have been briefed but I make no pronouncements, it seems thus far from the briefing received from Immigration through Minister Griffith that Trinidad and Tobago has been well within its discretionary powers in terms of refusing entry or disallowing until any further evidence may come forward based on that report it appears we are in compliance with the law,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said she would not want to say anything further on the specific matter until it is investigated.
In response to the deportation of the 13, there have been calls for a boycott of Trinidad and Tobago products in Jamaica.
“It is not something we will like to see happen at all, the same way I am sure Jamaica would not like Trinidad and Tobago to boycott Jamaican goods because we are all members of Caricom and I am sure dialogue is the best way forward,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said she was uncertain that “diplomatic relations” between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica have “deteriorated” as a result of the situation.
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“It seems thus far from what I have been briefed but I make no pronouncements, it seems thus far from the briefing received from Immigration through Minister Griffith that Trinidad and Tobago has been well within its discretionary powers in terms of refusing entry or disallowing until any further evidence may come forward based on that report it appears we are in compliance with the law,” she said.
PMs ought to be cautious in making pronouncements ... even in coming to the brink of tacitly making them.
At this point, the PM's posture on this matter is clear. If you want wiggle room, approach the matter differently rather than deflecting to squeeze your advisors in the event unhelpful revelations emerge subsequently.
There seems to be a lot of unscripted, off the cuff "pronouncements" emanating from the Hon. PM.
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Like Facebook delete the Boycott page. ::)
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T&T wrong to detain and deport Jamaicans
ByAnthony Wilson (Guardian).
Last week Tuesday, immigration officers at Piarco detained and deported 12 Jamaicans based on the failed attempts by those officers to contact local hosts of the Jamaicans, conflicting information from the deported Jamaicans and their hosts, and hosts residing illegally in T&T, among other reasons.
That act by the T&T immigration officers, quite predictably, has led to calls in Jamaica for T&T products to be the subject of a boycott in the north Caribbean state.
On the T&T side, both the Minister of National Security Gary Griffith and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar have defended the actions of the officers.
“It seems so far, from the briefing received from immigration through Minister Griffith, that T&T has been well within its discretionary powers in terms of refusing entry or disallowing it, until further evidence may come forward,” said the Prime Minister on Tuesday, in answering questions from reporters at the official opening of a new police station in Arima.
The detention and deportation of the 12 Jamaicans is an important issue for the T&T business community because of the vast investment that T&T firms have in Jamaica and the fact that Jamaica is an important destination for T&T manufactured products.
The issue of the detention and deportation of regional nationals is also important because it has the ability to stain T&T’s reputation as a country that upholds the law, is respectful of regional institutions and rights and does not discriminate against Caricom nationals.
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TT, J’ca agree to ‘hassle-free travel’
By Andre Bagoo (Newsday).
TRINIDAD and Tobago and Jamaica have agreed to facilitate “hassle-free travel” in relation to the movement of Jamaicans into this country, according to the final minutes of a two-day bilateral meeting attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran in Jamaica, released yesterday.
According to the agreed minutes, persons are to be denied entry only in limited circumstances and are to be given accommodation if so denied, as well as a right to appeal. Dookeran said his visit had “restored” relations between both countries after the fallout over the recent deportation of a dozen Jamaicans threatened to “escalate” damage to TT-Jamaica ties.
“I think we have a lot to be placed on the agenda but I believe the relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica has been restored and this particular issue was not allowed to escalate,” Dookeran said.
The Minister held a media briefing at the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to outline some of the main points of agreement arrived at after his visit to Jamaica which saw him meet with Jamaican prime minister Portia Simpson-Miller; Opposition Leader Andrew Holness; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Arnold Nicholson, diplomats, lawyers and members of the Jamaican trade community.
Dookeran said existing administrative measures will have to be revised in order to implement Caricom law calling for hassle-free movement. At the same time he insisted that the recent deportation of a dozen Jamaicans was within “the legal framework”.
The new measures agreed to involve implementation of the recent Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling in the Shanique Myrie Case which stipulates that Caricom nationals are entitled to a six-month entry stamp. The agreed minutes state: “the CCJ ruling is still a recent development and there was the need for it to be translated into practical steps leading to its implementation.”
Measures to be introduced include an appeals process, possibly involving a “judicial review”, as well as a complaints procedure and access to consular representation. Deportees are also to be housed at “appropriate facilities”, a matter for which airlines are deemed responsible. Certain Caricom-level skills certificates are also to be recognised.
The State officials and diplomats also agreed that immigration heads within each jurisdiction are to address the problem of “profiling” and there is to be “a mechanism for the sharing of information between immigration authorities...to transmit data rapidly on nationals of each country who are refused entry.”
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Out of Place
National Security Minister Gary Griffith yesterday knocked his colleague, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran, for making promises on travel between T&T and Jamaica with that country’s foreign minister, AJ Nicholson, without first consulting him.
In fact, even as Dookeran made a pledge with Nicholson to free up travel to this country for Jamaicans, Griffith maintained he was not backing down on his decision to boot “undesirables” from other Caribbean countries out of T&T, insisting that people who enter this country under the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) programme continued to be a burden on the State and could further escalate the crime situation. “T&T is not a mall, where anyone will be allowed entry,” Griffith said.
His statement came in the wake of a commitment by Dookeran to his Jamaican counterpart on Tuesday to open up trade and travel between the two countries and across the region. Dookeran offered the commitment after Nicholson invited him to Kingston for talks, following the deportation of 13 Jamaicans from Piarco Airport on November 19.
At a press conference at the Foreign Affairs Ministry at the Waterfront Complex, Port-of-Spain, yesterday, Dookeran said during the two-day talks, Jamaica and T&T had agreed that changes were required in the way immigration authorities in T&T and elsewhere in the Caribbean treated Caribbean visitors.
He said it was agreed an immigration officer had a right to exercise his authority, but under the new requirements of Caricom law this must be done with discretion. He said it was agreed the new processes must be put into a legal framework.
Griffith: Not negotiable
In a telephone interview yesterday, however, Griffith maintained that since the Immigration Department fell under his purview, any changes dealing with such issues, including directives to be given to immigration officers, could only be done by either him or the National Security Council. “I want to remind everyone that the Immigration Division falls under the National Security Ministry...That has not changed,” Griffith said.
“All immigration officers have been advised to adhere to regulations of the Immigration Act Chapter 18:01 and there would be no change to that unless through the National Security Council. “Immigration officers will continue to perform their duty by thoroughly verifying all persons to ensure they meet the full requirements, and if they do not meet those requirements, they would not be allowed entry into T&T. It’s as simple as that.”
He reiterated that there were some 30,000 illegal immigrants in T&T, including Jamaicans, St Lucians, Grenadians, those from other Caribbean islands and from South Africa, who had abused the “CSME’s good faith,” and they would all be immediately shipped back once located.
“These people have not only put a strain on the public’s purse but also on the country’s health and housing sectors. They have no BIR number, therefore they are not paying any taxes. Some even turn to a life of crime and this action cannot be condoned,” Griffith said. “I have a job to do and that is to ensure the sovereignty of this country and the security of its citizens. There would be no elements of flexibility. This is not negotiable. The buck stops with me.”
$2.3m spent on deportations
Saying T&T would adhere to the ruling of the CSME and would welcome all visitors, Griffith said, nevertheless, those who desire to work in this country must prove they have all relevant documents and could satisfy the requirements upon landing at Piarco Airport. He said the problem of illegal immigrants had been a problem to this country for “far too long” and had reached the point where it could affect the country’s credibility and also put T&T under the scrutiny of its international partners.
“The ports of legal entry have been the biggest problem for far too long and that is why we are in the situation that we are now in,” Griffith said. Another dimension to the problem of illegal immigrants was the heavy financial cost associated with deportation, he said. He said for the last year, the Government had spent some $2.3 million on deporting illegal immigrants. “Not only do we have to buy their ticket, but we also have to send an immigration officer and a police officer to accompany these people,” he said.
Asked why he had not accompanied Dookeran on the trip to Jamaica, Griffith said he was not invited, but insisted it was a matter involving immigration and national security. “The invitation was sent only for the Foreign Affairs Minister, not me, although the issue of immigration was at the forefront of discussions. I did, however, send my chief immigration officer to accompany Mr Dookeran,” he said.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-12-05/out-place?fb_action_ids=10153571598620183&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B612581348802924%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D (http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-12-05/out-place?fb_action_ids=10153571598620183&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B612581348802924%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D)
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This is shockingly bad. Why did the PM send Dookeran to Jamaica to pander to them in the first place ? Why doesn't the KPB government have a clear and agreed upon stance on Immigration and a position for this latest episode with Jamaica? This is absolutely the worst government in the history of Trinidad and Tobago and I mean even before Independence.
So Dookeran went to JA and did his own thing and Griffith is now publicly opposing it. W
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(A satirical take on Jamaican immigration issue by satirical columnist Mr Live Wire)
Jamaican immigration bashment: Dooks, Griffith and a giraffe named Bolt
By Mr Live Wire (Wired868)
There was a fresh immigration incident yesterday as a visitor was transported to Trinidad in a giant crate and forcibly kept in an enclosed area north of the Queen’s Park Savannah. And, in an arguably provocative gesture to Trinidad and Tobago’s patty-loving Caribbean rival, the immigrant was renamed ‘Bolt.’
In fact, Trinidad and Tobago’s latest resident might not have expected much better. ‘Bolt’ is the Emperor Valley Zoo’s latest giraffe and, when humans stick you into a large box to travel for half a day over land and sea, you don’t get your hopes up too high about what is in store at your next destination.
Not so if you are Jamaican with a one-way ticket and no host or visible means of supporting yourself.
Jamaica has been up in arms—metaphorically this time—about the expulsion of over a dozen citizens from Trinidad on November 19 after they were whipped 2-0 in front of a mob in Port of Spain and returned to Kingston with a generous serving of humble pie.
Better luck to the “Reggae Boyz” next time. Well, not really.
Jamaica was pretty upset too that 13 of their nationals were returned to sender by Trinidad and Tobago Immigration officers on the same day. Among the complaints in the Jamaican press were that the deportees were served “raw tasting chicken” at Piarco.
Unfortunately, none of the 13 had written “food critic” on the immigration forms. It was not an inaccurate description of Royal Castle’s fare these days.
Yesterday Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran returned from a two-day tour of Jamaica to reveal he had “cooled the waters” between the two nations after discussions with Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller and Foreign Affairs Minister Arnold J Nicholson.
Dookeran explained that he agreed with Jamaica to implement a clear system for appeal and complaints by visitors who run afoul of local immigration officers and to provide accountability in the entire process. He also promised officers will work in accordance with Caricom law without conceding that they violated the law in the first place.
Or, if Mr Live Wire may translate the political-speak, Trinidad and Tobago immigration officers will continue as usual while providing the next crop of Jamaican deportees with a suggestion box for their restaurant reviews.
Read more: http://wired868.com/2013/12/05/jamaicas-immigration-bashment-dooks-griffith-and-a-giraffe-named-bolt/
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GIVE ME MY PASSPORT
Jamaican woman caught working illegally in T&T wants to go back home; begs Immigration to return travel document
By Joel Julien (Express).
“I WANT to go home”.
This is the plea of Jamaican national Tamika Williams, who claimed on Thursday that members of the Trinidad and Tobago Immigration Division have confiscated her passport.
It is the latest tale in the ongoing conflict between local immigration officials following the deportation of 13 Jamaican nationals from this country last month.
Williams, 27, from St Elizabeth in Jamaica, arrived on June 17 for vacation.
She was granted a six-month stay, ending December 16.
Williams, who does cosmetology and hair-dressing in Jamaica, was expected to leave the country next Monday.
She bought a ticket and was happy to see her two sons, Jamario, four, and Omario, ten. Then Williams ran afoul of the law.
In late October, Williams was among five other immigrants found working illegally at a gas station in Chaguanas during a raid conducted by immigration officials.
Williams and the four others were taken to the Chaguanas Police Station.
Their passports and other documents were confiscated. They slept in a cell that night.
On November 4, Williams and the four others appeared before a Chaguanas magistrate. They all pleaded guilty to working without the requisite permission.
They were all fined $700 to be paid immediately or face three months jail time.
The magistrate said they were free to go.
Immigration officials intervened, however, and asked that the five carry receipt of the payment to the immigration office in San Fernando.
Williams said this country’s immigration officials have since not returned their passports because they are all “under observation”.
They have returned to the office every week to retrieve the documents to no avail.
Their last visit was last week Tuesday.
They are scheduled to return on December 12, days after her planned flight, Williams said on Thursday.
“I don’t know why they are doing this. I came her legally. I worked, which I know was wrong but I just want to go home now. I want to see my sons,” she said.
“They are just being wicked. I have a ticket to leave, just give me my passport and let me leave,” Williams.
Williams slammed the Jamaican High Commission in Trinidad for its inability to help in the situation.
“They are here to serve us and if they cannot help then who can help?” she asked.
Contacted yesterday for comment, an officer at the Immigration Department, Coffee Street, San Fernando he was aware of the case involving Williams, but was not authorised to speak about the issue.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran travelled to Jamaica earlier this week in the wake of the turning away of 13 Jamaican nationals at Piarco International Airport on November 19.
Following the visit, Dookeran said he was optimistic the diplomatic intervention had “cooled the waters” and prevented the “stresses and strains” between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica from spilling over into other areas of their economic relationship, especially in trade.
Dookeran held consultations with Jamaican officials there, led by Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arnold J Nicholson, on the free movement of Jamaicans into Trinidad and Tobago within the context of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-154216/New-visa-rules-Jamaicans-immigration-crackdown.html
Why no Jamaicans calling for boycott of UK, US or Can. who sends them back by the plane load. ::)
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Why boycott Trinidad? Try Obamaland, A Jamaican perspective
Franklin JOHNSTON
Friday, December 06, 2013
(http://s24.postimg.org/cobls9645/ed_cart_TUESD_3_DEC_w452.jpg)
The political strategy crafted from the "Trinidad 13" incident is a cautionary tale. The USA, UK, Barbados are high-profile border control screw-ups. We are entitled and will not allow due process to prevail, except with powerful friends. We bully small people so our Caricom pals do not like us, as they disliked our parents in 1962. We seem victors, but are generational victims. Persistent poverty, insensitivity, scar tissue; everyone must hurt because we are having a bad day — in our case a bad life. We savage our friends as 96 per cent entry will not do. Trinidad must give us 100 per cent entry-entitlement!
We are the bully of the North and xenophobia is all over. Foreign workers are one-third of the Saudi population and they too deport. In the UK, even Australian kith and kin are hassled, and the trek from poor new EU members in January is also scaring London. The Dominican Republic is culling Haitians — we want a Single Economy with this lot? We ignore ethnic cleansing an hour away — Cariforum sham! Roma beggars on the streets of London evidence the success of the EU; rich members open up and take others' poor. We know CSME works when Mat's Corner windshield wipers are on the streets of Port of Spain and Jerry sells roots wine on the Savannah.
Our fathers voted "no" to Federation in 1962. They did the right thing for the wrong reasons and created an inter-generational deficit of trust. Caricom's joys came a decade later then a few years ago, our leaders quietly signed us into the CSME Federation. It may be feasible for islands clustered in the south, but not for us. Cabinets do no due diligence on this 40-year-old device. This must not stand!
The "Trinidad 13" is about entitlement. Who presents papers to get "Myrie money"? Minister Winston Dookeran's visit portrays what is wrong with our values. We threaten, they come — big island blackmail. We can't get the right result the wrong way. We are in an ethical wasteland. Why not tell people our rate of entry to Trinidad is better than to the US and UK? We show them "hol down tek weh!" works, and so business exploits the crisis. T&T is not for our massive. Our skilled people go, but it's our jobless, poor who need a bly. Tell Jamaicans the truth. It will not happen. They can't absorb our poor, so whatever they sign it's not on. Eastern Caribbean people love us, but we never paid them any mind until Obamaland shut the door. We call them "small islanders"; show no respect; nor copy their solid economic policies or laud their Nobel winner. Friends are not conveniences. Is there an business Svengali behind this boycott threat? Follow the money.
Boycott Trinidad? Nonsense! We be friends. We need to build trust. Trinidad is a guardian to us. We were rude when bauxite cash was running and they were poor. Yes, we have a trade deficit with them, but we have a massive one with the USA — in 2010, some US$4b; 2011, US$5b; 2012 US$5b. The USA owns us, yet we can produce much of what we buy — we could eat local chicken instead of their chassis. If a deficit is reason to boycott, why not the USA ?
T&T exports natural gas, fuels, steel, fertiliser. Ours? Bauxite, sugar, rum, scrap iron. From America we buy chicken back, salt beef, eggs, drinks, corn, soya. We can produce some of what we buy from America, but can we the near US$1b of fuel we buy from T&T?
Money problem? The USA is our neighbour and friend, but never gave us cash. Trinidad gave us cash with no security, no conditions and we repaid only after they embarrassed us. We always "too bruk" to lend anyone. Trust is important, and we need travel to bond with Trini people not politicians. We need to meet them in Woodford Square; so be patient, forgiving, don't build up aggro. Let's get past this.
Energy problem? Our deficit with Trinidad is mainly for fuel. Why not buy from the USA? T&T is cheaper! If we had oil would we do as T&T, or let citizens bawl about JPS bills?
We have the largest trade deficit with the USA. Who has taken up a placard? Who pays protestors to boycott American goods? Do we protest the containers of chicken back? cheeses? bagels, croissants? chemical drinks? Did God make soya milk? Flippin' hell, will we import bull cow tea? The USA has energy subsidies in the welfare system and it is less taxed, so the USA produces cheaper than us. Boycott? "Duppy kno hoo to frigtin!" We have to be fair to all partners. The sun shines so we have the energy to build this country, but we need leaders, innovation and the mind to work. We do not need all the oil we import. We can do it!
Deportee, visa problem? We are our own enemy. A few years ago the UK sent back a planeload of us and we "suck it up!" — silent night! They tax diaspora airline tickets, we use due process, not boycott.
Senator Nicholson is a sweetheart, but Minister Dookeran's visit confirms we only bully our small friends. Our citizens misbehave in many lands, maybe not this time, but why not let the process work as in the Shanique Myrie case? We are targeted globally for a reason. Every time you take off your shoes at an airport thank a Jamaican. If a sniper shoots in America and they intern Jamaicans, thank Mr Malvo. I admire a country that uses its one asset to prosper itself and give to its people. We had two, bauxite and tourism — we missed! I like one that lends us cash, too. Let us curb "attitude" and entitlement. We are family. Arise and build Jamaica!
FDI problem? Trinidad is our second largest source of FDI. No one invests where they are not liked; they like us. We invested in BOJ paper. They took risks in business. Yet, as soon as they bought the Cement Company we fly the gate so anyone could set up another. What a friend we have in Jesus! They have half our population and are twice as rich, based on retooling, early adoption of technology, oil. To get cheap oil ask Cabinet to roll back taxes to T&T levels — easy! What is friendly about asking the T&T state to raise oil prices to their citizens to suit us? Do we make a quality toilet tissue to sell them? I struggle with a local paper towel and poor perforations mean waste of half the roll. Get quality up for locals first.
My Trini friends know we are wonderful people; our angst is evidence of decadal stress over 40 years. Our leaders, lost us in the wilderness, made us the laughing stock of the region and into an unfeasible union in 2005. We must resist CSME. We are distressed, but we do not grovel. We have "attitude" — it is our asset and our liability. We are poor, live on credit, do not buildout own country, but expect to be respected. They do not say it to our face, but if you can't prosper your own country your personal wealth is an embarrassment, not a virtue.
As things get harder we will see strange tactics. And, since we dare not upset Obamaland, our Caricom partners will get pressure — a scorched earth trade policy with countries we can bully. Hard times breed hard tactics. The promised land is just over the hill but "old school" can't get us there. Do not lose your humour, optimism or your "attitude", but saffron it with education and virtue. Let us choose new, adept leaders and hold their feet to the fire. Stay conscious, my friend!
Dr Franklin Johnston is a strategist, project manager and advises the Jamaican minister of education. franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com
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Great article, interesting view
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Good article! At least one Jamaican can see this affair objectively.
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excellent article
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:beermug:
Truth can be a tough pill to swallow. Glad to see a different and objective perspective.
Jamaicans along with all other people are being sent back all over. Like that plane only had 13 people onboard?
Even between Canada and US, if citizens fail to provide correct documentation, they being sent back! No entitlement.
This boycott is a joke, and it's time Trinbagonians ignore the incessant whining
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Jamaicans seek redress
By CLINT CHAN TACK Wednesday, December 25 2013
TWO of 12 Jamaican nationals who were denied entry into this country in November have filed a complaint with the Foreign Affairs Ministry in their homeland. This information was contained in a report in yesterday’s online edition of Jamaica’s Observer newspaper.
The report also claimed three of the 12 Jamaican nationals have inquired about the possibility of seeking redress. According to the report, Foreign Affairs Ministry officials said these three persons asked about a refund of their airfare spent on the trip to Trinidad.
The report said the officials indicated that in order to conduct further investigations, the persons who were denied entry needed to submit a signed written personal statement, outlining the details of the incident. Efforts to contact Foreign Affairs Ministry officials yesterday were unsuccessful.
On November 26, Newsday reported that close to 17,000 Jamaican nationals are staying illegally in TT as their entry certificates have expired.
Documents sent to Newsday from the Office of the Chief Immigration Officer Keith Sampson revealed that for this year, as of November 21, 16,958 Jamaicans are staying illegally in this country. According to information from the Ministry of National Security, 81 Jamaicans remain in detention at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) in Aripo while to date, for this year, 66 Jamaicans have been repatriated.
The argument that Jamaicans were being denied entry into this country, Griffith said, is patently false given the high numbers admitted over the past four years and the refusal rate being under five percent annually.
Reports from out of Jamaica are that TT Immigration Division refused Jamaica nationals entry into TT, in breach of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which allows for free movement of Caricom nationals among Caricom Member States.
The claims are being made against the background of 12 Jamaicans being denied entry on November 19.
According to statistics from the National Security Ministry, from 2010 to the present, the Immigration Division report on the number of Jamaicans granted and refused entry noted as being 13,534 (96 percent) Jamaicans were admitted and 594 (or four percent) being refused entry.
In 2010, 10,993 Jamaicans were allowed into TT while 371 were refused (a 3.3 percent refusal rate); in 2011, 13,964 were allowed entry while 597 were denied entry (a 4.1 percent refusal rate); in 2012, 15,871 were admitted while 400 were refused entry (a 2.6 percent refusal rate) and for this year, 13,534 Jamaicans have been allowed into this country as opposed to 594 being denied entry — a 4.2 percent refusal rate.
Documents provided by the Office of the Chief Immigration Officer Keith Sampson revealed that for this year, as of November 21, 16,958 Jamaicans are staying illegally in this country.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran went to Jamaica last month and held talks with Jamaica Foreign Affairs Minister AJ Nicholson on the matter.
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(http://s8.postimg.org/d1s9q2qt1/ed_cart_TUESD_3_DEC_w452.jpg)
Man look here deport dem arse Immigration.
How many redress has Jamaica sought from the USA , Canada , etc.... :cursing:
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Jamaicans, Indians (from India) and Nigerians are the worst you could ever let in your country. They will run it down.
Sam, you better than that, man!!!!
No he isn't. He's ah ass. Is de same man who come on here a fews years boasting 'bout how he beat up a Jamaican student from UWI... coulda kill de boy and all. Same dotish sam(ah ent even capitalizing he name ::))
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Jamaicans divided over boycott of T&T goods
Jamaicans appear split on calls for a boycott of goods made in Trinidad and Tobago, but an overwhelming majority are up in arms over the decision by that country to refuse entry to 13 Jamaicans, including a child, late last year.
Last November, a campaign was launched for a boycott of Trinidadian goods, following news that immigration officers had refused entry to the 13 Jamaicans. At that time, it appeared that local consumers were ready to stop buying biscuits, juices, peanuts, and other goods made in Trinidad and Tobago that stock the shelves of stores and supermarkets islandwide.
The call seemed to be getting traction as segments of the commercial sector as well as the parliamentary Opposition seemed set to join the boycott.
But a recently completed test of the public pulse commissioned by Jamaica National Building Society and done by Johnson Survey Research showed less than four in every ten Jamaicans (38 per cent) are supporting the boycott call. According to the survey, a plurality of those interviewed, 46 per cent, or a shade below half, said no to the boycott while 16 per cent were unmoved either way.
The public response is a disappointment for rural, primary-school teacher Kesreen Green Dillon, who initiated the boycott using the social media.
“I am very, very disappointed,” Green Dillon said. “So many things have been going on and so many Jamaicans targeted and I think a boycott would give us a chance to buy Jamaican, which would help us grow,” she added.
She accepted that persons would have formed their position based on their socialisation, but questioned how could Jamaicans not support a boycott in light of the many reports of unfair treatment by immigration officers in that country.
The latest incident came last week when a popular local actor claimed that he and his wife were singled out and mistreated by Trinidadian officials last Monday, shortly after arriving in Port of Spain.
But the less-than-convincing support for the boycott came despite the vast majority of Jamaicans, 75 per cent, saying they were aware of the incident when the 13 people were turned back at the Piarco International Airport, and 61 per cent was adamant that the Trinidadians were wrong in their action, even though officials in the twin-island republic have repeatedly denied that they were locked out because they were from Jamaica.
Only 15 per cent of the respondents agreed with the decision to refuse the Jamaicans entry.
The Trinidadians have listed several reasons for denying entry to the Jamaicans, including no indication of how they would finance their stay.
“For all 13 cases, the immigration officers had good reason to deny them entry,” Trinidad’s Minister of National Security, Gary Griffith, told The Gleaner recently, as he listed individual reasons why the persons were denied entry.
A total of 1,008 residents of Jamaica aged 18 and older were interviewed across the island in the survey conducted on December 7, 8, 14 and 15, 2013.
—Jamaica Gleaner
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100 refugees seek TT asylum.
By CAROL MATROO (Newsday).
Around 100 persons are currently seeking asylum in Trinidad and Tobago. This was revealed by the Living Water Community, the organisation which is assisting the refugees in settling away from their respective homes to a new life in the Caribbean. The refugees are mainly from African countries.
There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of people who, when they arrive on the shores of Trinidad and Tobago, do not have the proper documentation to stay in the country, but for some reason or the other, are determined to stay.
Some may be trying to escape strife and war in their country, some may have been displaced, while others were seeking economic opportunities to improve their way of life. But, when they overstay their welcome, Immigration steps in and most times they are sent to a detention centre, jail, or deported.
They must meet certain requirements to gain refugee status, thus citizenship, in TT.
Living Water Community assist citizens who were seeking asylum because their lives were in danger. To date there has been more than 1,200, with about 100 at present.
“There are many people who come to this country for economic reasons, that does not come under our mandate. When people come to us they are interviewed for us to do a determination to see if their lives are really in danger and need protection,” said assistant community director of Living Water, Rosemary Scott.
She said they did initial interviews, and further interviews were sent up to the Washington office, the head office for the Caribbean region for United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
She said despite the fact that TT had signed the convention to recognise and accept refugees, there was no legislation in place. This meant that refugees seeking asylum had absolutely no rights in this country, she said.
Scott said they liaised with Immigration allowing them to at least have what was called an “order of supervision” which entitled them protection while they were here and their case was being determined.
“Once the case is determined that they are refugees, then by international law they should be protected in this country...again because there is no legislation in place very often we need to find a third country to resettle them,” Scott said.
Scott said refugees were not entitled to work, or have bank accounts, a driver’s licence or any documents.
“If the proper legislation was in place then they would be entitled to all rights as any other citizen of this country,” Scott said.
Living Water has been helping people seeking refugee asylum for over 20 years, and has helped over 1,000.
She said people seeking their assistance were not boat loads of people, but single families.
Scott said ten years ago there was a big resurgence coming out of Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Sengal, Ivory Coast), but now there was a big influx coming from Cuba.
“It’s not coming in the hundreds or thousands, they are coming in a family or two,” she said.
Seeking asylum in TT is not easy.
“We have to do a determination because a lot of them are economic migrants and just looking for a better life, and through the grapevine they think that Trinidad has a lot of jobs, or a lot of money, whether it be true or false, that’s what draws a lot of people here,” she said.
Scott said they assisted those who were seeking asylum and protection for their lives and their families.
“We assist those who are really seeking protection for their lives. You have to sift through those and those need the protection of the government. Cuba has been the most recent, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan..these are all people seeking asylum,” Scott said.
Scott said there was a misconception that people seeking asylum were poor and uneducated, or that they were coming to “take all the jobs from the people of TT”
That is not so,” Scott said.
She said most of the refugees were very qualified in various fields.
“They are very qualified and I think that the misconception and lack of communication that people have, they think that refugees are poor people. They think that he/she is uneducated and coming to take all the jobs from Trinidadians, but that is not so.
“A lot of these people have university degrees, who are engineers, teachers, and doctors...people from different positions...labourers and construction workers, it is across the board. It is all about what is happening in their country,”she said.
Scott said it was not a hand out but people seeking asylum were not just accepted, but had to prove that they were victims of crime and war.
She warned that just because someone’s country was at war that, or because TT had a spiralling murder rate, that people would get asylum. It is not because your country is at war necessarily that you can be granted refugee status, it is what is your connection to that,” she said
Scott said, “It is not because TT has gang warfare I am going to apply for refugee status. Gang warfare has not affected me personally, so that does not give me the right for refugee status. Can I move to a safer part of the country that is not affected, or am I involved in a political party that is involved in this conflict, or do I belong to a social group that is opposing the regime.
“We do not have accommodations so they make connections with networks that already exist and a lot of these people are not necessarily poor. Some of them are able to bring enough money to live on for a couple of months, while some come here with absolutely nothing, without a documents”
Scott said they were in no position to house any families.
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if they are so educated then let them goe to d US and Canada..... ah hear d sky iz d limit there
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Probably because if you're escaping unimaginable terror you go to wherever you can, or where family is if you have a choice. All countries have a legal (as well as moral) obligation to accept asylum seekers under the United Nations charter, having learnt the terrible lessons of World War 2
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UWI Lecturers Say They Were Targeted At Trinidad Airport (http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=50527)
Published: Tuesday January 14, 2014 | 1:30 pm22 Comments
Debbie-Ann Wright, News Editor - Radio
A group of university educators has been added to the growing number of people who believe Jamaicans are being targeted for extra scrutiny when they seek to enter Trinidad and Tobago.
The group of educators from the University of the West Indies, Mona, arrived in Trinidad on Sunday night to attend a conference at the university's St Augustine campus.
Coordinator for the UWI’s social work programme, Dr Peta-Anne Baker, says members of her group were targeted for additional security checks as they went through customs.
She said none of the passengers ahead of her group had been required to have their bags scanned.
And she says the customs officers indicated they were simply carrying out instructions to scan the bags of all the Jamaicans who arrived.
Baker says while they were not mistreated by the customs officials, it was obvious that Jamaicans are being specifically targeted when they seek to enter Trinidad and Tobago.
There have been several complaints recently by Jamaicans regarding discrimination at Trinidad’s ports.
Recently, broadcaster and comedian, Christopher ‘Johnny’ Daley complained via social media about how he was treated when he and his wife arrived in Trinidad.
Late last year, the matter of the treatment of Jamaicans in Trinidad received national attention after 13 Jamaicans said they were mistreated before being sent back home.
Both Governments later held talks about the immigration concerns.
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Seeking asylum in TT is not easy.
Ain't that de truth. :devil:
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Seeking asylum in TT is not easy.
Ain't that de truth. :devil:
:rotfl:
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Griffith: Thousands of illegal J’cans straining T&T
Story Created: Oct 10, 2014 at 9:45 PM ECT
(
Story Updated: Oct 10, 2014 at 9:45 PM ECT )
There are 19,000 illegal Jamaicans living in Trinidad and Tobago who are feeding off State resources and causing this country to lose over $1 billion in revenue annually, according to National Security Minister Gary Griffith.
In a release yesterday, Griffith supported the actions taken by immigration officers at the Piarco International Airport, in relation to the 13 Jamaicans who were denied entry on September 30, stating that they were found to be in breach of several immigration requirements.
He said the immigration officials were doing their job and the authorities cannot act as a “rubber stamp” when it comes to allowing people into the country.
“It is to be noted that at this present time, there are more than 19,000 Jamaicans in Trinidad and Tobago who have entered at legitimate ports of entry, but who have remained illegally and cannot be accounted for,” stated Griffith.
Describing the statistics as “alarming”, Griffith said this means “that these people are dependent on State resources such as education and health care, may be employed and are not subject to taxes, which amounts to a loss of revenue of over $1 billion per annum”.
Griffith said the carte blanche facilitation of entry of visitors into Trinidad and Tobago, without proper checks and balances as stipulated in the Immigration Act, creates the potential for an exponential increase in criminal activity, since the majority of these persons will have no fixed place of abode in this country and are unable to work or acquire a source of income.
Immigration officers, he said, receive extensive training in various interviewing and profiling techniques, which, coupled with information communicated from Intelligence Agencies via the Border Management System (BMS) ensures that an informed and unbiased decision is made regarding admission or refusal of persons seeking entry.
He reiterated that there was no abuse of authority in refusing entry to the 13 Jamaicans and immigration authorities carry out their duties and play a pivotal role in securing this country’s borders while facilitating the free movement of Caricom nationals as enshrined in Chapter lll of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
Griffith said Caricom nationals do not have an automatic entry into Trinidad and Tobago, and they must meet immigration requirements.
He noted that Article 46 (3) of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas makes provision for each member state to protect its citizens.
“This ultimately means that the immigration authorities of any member state may deny the entry of a Caricom national where it has been determined on reasonable grounds that the entry of the person would be detrimental to the interests of its citizens,” stated Griffith.
The minister stressed that the National Security Ministry must ensure that each and every visitor who enters this country, does not in any way become a liability to the State, which can become possible if persons attempt to enter with no skills certificate, no possible employer and nowhere to live.
“Failure to follow these regulations would establish a virtual open door policy, thereby reducing immigration to a rubber stamp division, with no authority to debar anyone from entering the country. The negative implications of such a policy include an increase in the unemployment rate and an adverse effect on the national economy, since the Government of Trinidad and Tobago will now have to bear the burden of providing education, health care and other social amenities at taxpayers’ expense to tens of thousands of undocumented migrants,” stated Griffith.
\\ The minister also refuted statements made in an Express editorial titled “Will they ever learn” on October 9 which stated he was unprepared for immigration affairs under his portfolio.
The editorial also raised concerns over the refusal of the 13 Jamaicans into this country and pointed out that reports from Jamaica stated that they were left to sleep on the floor, without access to food and toilets, before being sent back to Kingston.
Griffith stated that the Immigration Division is not responsible for accommodation of
passengers as that charge lies with the airline.
He stated that according to Section 34 of the Immigration Act Chapter 18:01, the
transportation company is responsible for providing adequate and suitable
accommodation for persons refused entry and must also provide security at the airlines’ expense, treat their charges in a humane
manner and provide meals for them.
The minister also provided further statistics which showed that on September 30—the day the 13 Jamaicans were refused entry—there were 2021 arrivals in Trinidad and Tobago, of which 23 were refused.
Griffith stated that 98.86 per cent of landed passengers were accepted, demonstrating that Trinidad and Tobago has been adhering to its obligations under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas
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Why the focus on only the Jamaicans when there are 4 times as many illegal Guyanese (vast majority of East Indian decent) and apparently many of them are being offered house and land in the marginal constituencies after being legalized? ???
In the meantime many born and breed Trinis have been on the housing list for 10 plus years and are still waiting.
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Anything that would strengthen the number of Africans in Trinbago is a problem to this government.
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What about Guyanese, Nigerians, Chinese?
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Why the focus on only the Jamaicans when there are 4 times as many illegal Guyanese (vast majority of East Indian decent) and apparently many of them are being offered house and land in the marginal constituencies after being legalized? ???
In the meantime many born and breed Trinis have been on the housing list for 10 plus years and are still waiting.
not sure who's filling your ears, but I'm positive you cannot prove that statement. but one should expect this sort of race related (especially in regards to Guyana - your measuring stick).
you could have easily just question nationals from Guyana, Nigeria, China and our good neighbors from the Western coast (btw they owning a lot of Trinidad now), but you have a wide-on for Guyanese.
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Why the focus on only the Jamaicans when there are 4 times as many illegal Guyanese (vast majority of East Indian decent) and apparently many of them are being offered house and land in the marginal constituencies after being legalized? ???
In the meantime many born and breed Trinis have been on the housing list for 10 plus years and are still waiting.
not sure who's filling your ears, but I'm positive you cannot prove that statement. but one should expect this sort of race related (especially in regards to Guyana - your measuring stick).
you could have easily just question nationals from Guyana, Nigeria, China and our good neighbors from the Western coast (btw they owning a lot of Trinidad now), but you have a wide-on for Guyanese.
Not everything that you imagine is real Jumbie.
I have had info from people I know personally in T&T. One of them is a friend who broke up with her husband and has been living with relatives and renting privately for over 15 years.
She registered on the government HDC housing list over 15 years ago to get her own place and is still waiting.
What makes it most annoying for her is that she personally know Guyanese people who have not been in T&T for 5 years who have been given HDC housing by the government. Now why would they get government housing in front of born and breed Trinis and is that fair and healthy for the country?
There are also numerous radio talk shows where these sort of incidents are being regularly reported by disillusioned T&T citizens on the HDC housing waiting list for donkey years.
It seems that it is now no longer about how long you have been waiting for your own HDC house while renting or living with relatives but more to do with who you know and which political party you are supporting for you to offered your own house to purchase.
Check this video link: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/videos/-Land-for-Squatters--2900----278184701.html Apparently the majority of these people recently given land are Guyanese squatters.
The question to be asked here is what about T&T citizens who have been waiting for housing and living legally by relatives or who have been renting privately and throwing money down the drain?
People on the ground living in T&T will tell you that the vast majority of these squatters are Indo-Guyanese. Check this story related to the video link above: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Seemungal-10000-squatters-in-one-constituency-266956491.html.
Btw Toco/Sangre Grande is a marginal constituency and this pattern is being repeated in all the marginals throughout T&T. However if the illegals happen to be Afro or Jamaican then it is becomes a negative issue by this government to be highlighted based on how those people are most likely to vote if they are regularized.
There are many more similar stories to the above that I can give you links for and as elections is coming around expect more and more of these squatters to be regularized and given land along with the right to vote.
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Sticking to your point.. being given Gov't housing (not squatting), I stand by what I said ("imaginary" or not). Like I said, you have a wide-on for anything Guyanese (by extension Indian).
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Sticking to your point.. being given Gov't housing (not squatting), I stand by what I said ("imaginary" or not). Like I said, you have a wide-on for anything Guyanese (by extension Indian).
You missed the initial point I was making and I guess you are doing so deliberately.
My point was that since there are more than twice as many illegal Guyanese in T&T (most of a certain race) than there are illegal J'cans, isn't it strange that the honorable National Security Minister Gary Griffith only saw it fit to focus on illegal Jamaicans (most of a certain race)?
I wonder why? When you are prepared to face that reality with some honesty in acknowledging the blatantly racist policies of the current PP government then we can talk.
You cannot solve a problem of discrimination until you first acknowledge that there is a problem.
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Sticking to your point.. being given Gov't housing (not squatting), I stand by what I said ("imaginary" or not). Like I said, you have a wide-on for anything Guyanese (by extension Indian).
You missed the initial point I was making and I guess you are doing so deliberately.
My point was that since there are more than 5 times as many illegal Guyanese in T&T (most of a certain race) than there are illegal J'cans, isn't it strange that the honorable National Security Minister Gary Griffith only saw it fit to focus on illegal Jamaicans (most of a certain race)?
I wonder why? When you are prepared to face that reality with some honesty in acknowledging the blatantly racist policies of the current PP government then we can talk.
You cannot solve a problem of discrimination until you first acknowledge that there is a problem.
you're not serious..right? just look up at the hills where our fellow caricom ambassadors occupy.
maybe the MONS fraid to say it.. (shit I'm about to do what you do), maybe, just maybe, these "certain race' immigrants don't indulge in crime as much as the ones being targeted (according to you)?
SP, not everything you hear on the call-in radio shows you subscribe to or the news yuh get from yuh nenen is factual.
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Sticking to your point.. being given Gov't housing (not squatting), I stand by what I said ("imaginary" or not). Like I said, you have a wide-on for anything Guyanese (by extension Indian).
You missed the initial point I was making and I guess you are doing so deliberately.
My point was that since there are more than twice as many illegal Guyanese in T&T (most of a certain race) than there are illegal J'cans, isn't it strange that the honorable National Security Minister Gary Griffith only saw it fit to focus on illegal Jamaicans (most of a certain race)?
I wonder why? When you are prepared to face that reality with some honesty in acknowledging the blatantly racist policies of the current PP government then we can talk.
You cannot solve a problem of discrimination until you first acknowledge that there is a problem.
you're not serious..right? just look up at the hills where our fellow caricom ambassadors occupy.
maybe the MONS fraid to say it.. (shit I'm about to do what you do), maybe, just maybe, these "certain race' immigrants don't indulge in crime as much as the ones being targeted (according to you)?
SP, not everything you hear on the call-in radio shows you subscribe to or the news yuh get from yuh nenen is factual.
Doing your best to distract from my point I see. Can't say I am surprised.
So who told you that the illegal Jamaicans in T&T are mostly living in the hills? I hope you are not implying that the illegal Jamaicans are the ones living in Laventille and committing most of the crimes there as that is very racist if that is what you are implying. And is Laventille the only area in T&T where crime occurs in your mind? Or is that the state controlled media in T&T loves to focus on crime in Laventille which helps to make it look like they are the main cause of crime and problems in the country?
Also if you are not aware that there are probably twice as many illegal Guyanese as any other illegal group in T&T then what can I say other than you must have Guyanese family or something so don't want to face that reality.
Finally you speculate that the MONS probably believes that the illegal Jamaicans are more likely to be engaged in criminal activities than illegal Guyanese so maybe that is why he chose to concentrate on them. Are you listening to yourself? But I am glad that you are revealing the colours of how racial you are thinking and maybe our MONS is on the same page in his thinking as yourself?
Glad you are revealing exactly how people like youself tend to view folks of African descent.
Its thinking like that by politicians in Guyana that led to Guyana being in the state its in right now where everyone is running away and us having so many illegal Guyanese in T&T but I guess you are happy to see T&T head down the same road. I guess that thinking makes a lot of sense to you?
PS:
I don't get all my information from the news or the radio as I am a Trini who is regularly in touch with friends and family living in T&T and who are on the ground and know what is going on in their area.
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Since this PP Party became the Government of Trinbago like they send a message to all supporters every part of this earth to defend them even if what they are doing is wrong .
As I always say when the PNM was in power many others and I would stand and blast them to hell for the wrong they are doing but now the wrong is right and the wrong are so glaring, I thought we would standup and defend Trinbago by any means necessary but I now see how wrong I was .
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Since this PP Party became the Government of Trinbago like they send a message to all supporters every part of this earth to defend them even if what they are doing is wrong .
As I always say when the PNM was in power many others and I would stand and blast them to hell for the wrong they are doing but now the wrong is right and the wrong are so glaring, I thought we would standup and defend Trinbago by any means necessary but I now see how wrong I was .
You can say that again!
Its so sad but our country is on its way to becoming another Guyana or worse because too many Trinis are prepared to put race and supporting their party in whatever wrong they do before the future of the country.
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Our MONS Gary Griffith is really helping to build a better business relation between T&T and Jamaica with his latest statement.
I am sure Jumbie and his likes are quite proud of their buddy Gary.
See link: TT government says illegal Jamaicans putting strain on economy - News - JamaicaObserver.com (http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/TT-government-says-illegal-Jamaicans-putting-strain-on-economy)
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Very poor statesmanship by the Min of Nat Security
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Very poor statesmanship by the Min of Nat Security
It seems that very few of our current government ministers have any genuine tact or class.
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Since this PP Party became the Government of Trinbago like they send a message to all supporters every part of this earth to defend them even if what they are doing is wrong .
As I always say when the PNM was in power many others and I would stand and blast them to hell for the wrong they are doing but now the wrong is right and the wrong are so glaring, I thought we would standup and defend Trinbago by any means necessary but I now see how wrong I was .
there was a fellow pres man who went under the sobriquet "supa trini" he had a lot to say about manning's administration...i does hardly hear from him nowadays now boy
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This is what our MONS should have done from the beginning rather than just focusing on the Jamaicans.
Must say our T&T Minister of National Security still sounds like a bit of a tyrant though!
This figure of 110,000 illegals is more than the entire population of Grenada and many of the other islands.
I wonder how many illegal Trinbagonians are living in the other islands? Can anyone provide figures?
It will also be interesting to find out what the legal immigrants population figures look like for T&T.
110,000 illegals
...Griffith: We will put an end to it (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/110000-illegals-279226092.html)
By Ria Taitt Political Editor (T&T Express)
Story Created: Oct 14, 2014 at 10:09 PM ECT
Oil- and gas-rich Trinidad and Tobago remains a land of opportunity and currently serves as a haven for 110,012 illegal immigrants.
“You are talking about over ten per cent of your adult population,” National Security Minister Gary Griffith said following the National Security Ministry’s release of the “alarming statistics” yesterday.
Asked if there had been an increase in the number of illegal immigrants in recent years, Griffith said the problem did not start overnight.
“It is just that I am opening this Pandora’s box. And I intend to put an end to it. It is totally unacceptable,” he said.
This disturbingly high number of illegal immigrants comes primarily from 16 countries, of which only six are members of Caricom.
The highest number of illegal immigrants comes from Guyana—25,884; followed by Jamaica.
There are 19,500 Jamaicans living here illegally, while Venezuela has 10,574 illegal immigrants residing here. Next in line are people from St Vincent—9,606; Barbadians—7,169; Grenadians—6,947; Colombians—6,388; Chinese—4,593; Filipinos—4,437; St Lucians—4,391; Indians—3,651; Dominican Republic—2,256; Surinamese—1,944; Cubans—1,434; Nigerians—1,071; and Bangladeshis—167.
Griffith said he was not on a “witch hunt”.
But, he said he had met a very “untidy situation” and he intended to deal with all aspects of national security.
He said once Immigration officials are able to locate people, they are deported back to their country.
He said in such instances this country had to provide for the costs associated with deportation. “For example, for the 11 Africans we have to deport, we have pay the airfare plus Special Branch personnel to accompany them. It is going to cost us over $2 million to send back those Africans over the next two weeks,” he said, adding the State had to also charter an aircraft.
He said, though, many of the illegal immigrants “stay under the radar”, and sometimes information is brought to the Immigration Department which facilitates the location of these people.
However, he also noted many Trinidadians hire illegal immigrants “and they abuse the situation because they don’t pay (National Insurance), taxes, and sometimes pay them below the minimum wage”.
He said some of them worked in the security industry.
Griffith said some were employed in the sex industry.
He said he wanted to reject statements coming from the Jamaican opposition that it was a common practice for many people to overstay their time in different Caricom countries. “Because it is normal does not make it legal,” he said. “When these people are here illegally, they are sometimes unemployed and they turn to a life of crime and this could play a very big part in criminal activities in a country. “These individuals also consume our health facilities, education, because there is free access to all, as well as housing and employment opportunities.
“I am not saying that we intend to throw everyone out. Many of them have settled here and may be of value to Trinidad and Tobago, but they need to be regulaised and registered. If not, they can be abused by their employers and taken advantage of by receiving ridiculously low wages,” he said.
Sources told the Express yesterday the Jamaican influence on the gang activity was being looked at.
Citing the recent case of Jamaican Tremin Thomas, who was killed along with gang leader Dillon “Bandy” Skeete last month, the source said there was infiltration into the gangs by some of these illegal immigrants.
No. of People who have overstayed their time in Trinidad and Tobago and have not yet departed:
• Bangladeshis: 167
• Barbadians: 7,169
• Chinese: 4,593
• Colombians: 6,388
• Dominican Republic: 2,256
• Cubans: 1,434
• Grenadians: 6,947
• Guyanese: 25,884
• Indians: 3,651
• Jamaicans: 19,500
• Nigerians: 1,071
• Filipinos: 4,437
• St Lucians: 4,391
• St Vincent: 9,606
• Suriname: 1,944
• Venezuelans: 10,574
Source: National Security Ministry
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^^ Ok so he made big announcement but did not say how his Ministry intends to deal with the situation. So this is just another a election campaign topic. Notice he said "this problem did not start overnight"
Plus this public announcement is to save his face from being egged after being criticized for singling out Jamaicans when there are many other illegal immigrants.
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110,000 illegals
...Griffith: We will put an end to it
By Ria Taitt Political Editor
Oil- and gas-rich Trinidad and Tobago remains a land of opportunity and currently serves as a haven for 110,012 illegal immigrants.
“You are talking about over ten per cent of your adult population,” National Security Minister Gary Griffith said following the National Security Ministry’s release of the “alarming statistics” yesterday.
Asked if there had been an increase in the number of illegal immigrants in recent years, Griffith said the problem did not start overnight.
“It is just that I am opening this Pandora’s box. And I intend to put an end to it. It is totally unacceptable,” he said.
This disturbingly high number of illegal immigrants comes primarily from 16 countries, of which only six are members of Caricom.
The highest number of illegal immigrants comes from Guyana—25,884; followed by Jamaica.
There are 19,500 Jamaicans living here illegally, while Venezuela has 10,574 illegal immigrants residing here. Next in line are people from St Vincent—9,606; Barbadians—7,169; Grenadians—6,947; Colombians—6,388; Chinese—4,593; Filipinos—4,437; St Lucians—4,391; Indians—3,651; Dominican Republic—2,256; Surinamese—1,944; Cubans—1,434; Nigerians—1,071; and Bangladeshis—167.
Griffith said he was not on a “witch hunt”.
But, he said he had met a very “untidy situation” and he intended to deal with all aspects of national security.
He said once Immigration officials are able to locate people, they are deported back to their country.
He said in such instances this country had to provide for the costs associated with deportation. “For example, for the 11 Africans we have to deport, we have pay the airfare plus Special Branch personnel to accompany them. It is going to cost us over $2 million to send back those Africans over the next two weeks,” he said, adding the State had to also charter an aircraft.
He said, though, many of the illegal immigrants “stay under the radar”, and sometimes information is brought to the Immigration Department which facilitates the location of these people.
However, he also noted many Trinidadians hire illegal immigrants “and they abuse the situation because they don’t pay (National Insurance), taxes, and sometimes pay them below the minimum wage”.
He said some of them worked in the security industry. Griffith said some were employed in the sex industry.
He said he wanted to reject statements coming from the Jamaican opposition that it was a common practice for many people to overstay their time in different Caricom countries. “Because it is normal does not make it legal,” he said.
“When these people are here illegally, they are sometimes unemployed and they turn to a life of crime and this could play a very big part in criminal activities in a country. “These individuals also consume our health facilities, education, because there is free access to all, as well as housing and employment opportunities.
“I am not saying that we intend to throw everyone out. Many of them have settled here and may be of value to Trinidad and Tobago, but they need to be regularised and registered. If not, they can be abused by their employers and taken advantage of by receiving ridiculously low wages,” he said.
Sources told the Express yesterday the Jamaican influence on the gang activity was being looked at.
Citing the recent case of Jamaican Tremin Thomas, who was killed along with gang leader Dillon “Bandy” Skeete last month, the source said there was infiltration into the gangs by some of these illegal immigrants.
People who have overstayed their time in Trinidad and Tobago and have not yet departed:
• Bangladeshis: 167
• Barbadians: 7,169
• Chinese: 4,593
• Colombians: 6,388
• Dominican Republic: 2,256
• Cubans: 1,434
• Grenadians: 6,947
• Guyanese: 25,884
• Indians: 3,651
• Nigerians: 1,071
• Filipinos: 4,437
• St Lucians: 4,391
• St Vincent: 9,606
• Suriname: 1,944
• Venezuelans: 10,574
Source: National Security Ministry
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Hm.
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Hm.
Shock at the Bim#?
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Hm.
Shock at the Bim#?
For real....over 7,000 illegal bajans and I can't recall ever meeting a single bajan in Trini..illegal or otherwise..
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Ok so he made big announcement but did not say how his Ministry intends to deal with the situation. So this is just another a election campaign topic. Notice he said "this problem did not start overnight"
Plus this public announcement is to save his face from being egged after being criticized for singling out Jamaicans when there are many other illegal immigrants.
-
Hm.
Shock at the Bim#?
For real....over 7,000 illegal bajans and I can't recall ever meeting a single bajan in Trini..illegal or otherwise..
:beermug:
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^^ Ok so he made big announcement but did not say how his Ministry intends to deal with the situation. So this is just another a election campaign topic. Notice he said "this problem did not start overnight"
Plus this public announcement is to save his face from being egged after being criticized for singling out Jamaicans when there are many other illegal immigrants.
:beermug:
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So like they return the favor with Abu Bakr
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Hm.
Shock at the Bim#?
why are you shocked?
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So like they return the favor with Abu Bakr
Yea heard on the radio they were trying to arrest him on a plane in JA. What's the latest with this?
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BAKR ORDERED OUT OF JAMAICA
By NALINEE SEELAL (Newsday)
JAMAAT al Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr was handcuffed, detained and ordered out of Jamaica together with one of his wives and his son Fuad, shortly after they arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday.
Bakr is said to have become boisterous on being told by Immigration officers that he was being denied entry. He was handcuffed and detained by Jamaican officials in an interrogation room at the airport for several hours.
Initial reports indicate that he, his wife and son were put on a flight that would have arrived at Piarco International Airport shortly after nine last night, although a more up-to-date report said the party would be held by Jamaican authorities overnight and they would be deported today. Newsday was informed that Bakr last night protested vehemently over being placed in the economy cabin, when he was escorted onto an aircraft for the return trip to Trinidad. His protestations were said to have created some confusion and delay in the flight departure out of Kingston and a decision was made to take him off the flight.
The latter report from Kingston stated that arrangements were being made to have Bakr placed in the Horizons Remand Centre in Kingston and if that were not possible he would be held in the Gun Court facilities, also in Kingston.
As to reasons for refusing Bakr entry, the Jamaican Passport, Immigration and Citizens Agency was said to have an Interpol watch list and persons on that list are not allowed to land in Jamaica. The Jamaica reports spoke of a long relationship Bakr had with former deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi who was killed a few years ago in a popular revolution in his country.
A statement from the Jamaican agency last evening said, however, the Jamaat al Muslimeen leader was refused leave to land in Jamaica under the country’s Immigration Restriction Commonwealth Citizens’ Act. The statement said the decision was in the interest of national security given the threat posed to public safety.
According to reports Bakr, his wife and son Fuad, the latter being the political leader of the New National Vision (NNV) party, left Trinidad on an Air Caribbean Flight at 8 am yesterday and arrived at 1 pm. They travelled into Jamaica to attend the 19th anniversary Louis Farakhan march scheduled to take place on Sunday at the National Arena in Kingston.
Sources revealed, on Bakr’s arrival at the Norman Manley Airport yesterday afternoon, immigration officers who scrutinised his passport sought guidance from other senior immigration officers as to whether to allow Bakr who led a failed coup in Trinidad on July 27, 1990, into Jamaica. After much deliberation officials decided to debar entry to Bakr and the two members of his family for security reasons. According to sources in Kingston, when officials informed Bakr of the decision, he began protesting loudly, accusing immigration authorities of unfairly targetting him. Immigration officers alerted police officers on duty at the airport and three heavily armed officers took Bakr into their custody and handcuffed him. His wife and son were not handcuffed, but allowed to accompany Bakr into the interrogation room.
Newsday was told, at 2.10 pm yesterday a handcuffed Bakr, along with his wife and son, were escorted to BW 457 by the three armed police officers and placed on the aircraft. This report, however, conflicted with other information that Bakr, his wife and son would be kept in Kingston overnight and put on a flight to Trinidad today.
Immigration sources told Newsday Bakr was not expected to be charged with any offence on his return to this country. Sources in Jamaica told Newsday that the Louis Farakhan march on Sunday is expected to attract hundreds of Muslims from all over the world and the Jamaican authorities have put systems in place to prevent persons deemed ‘undesirable’ from entering the country.
The authorities in Jamaica felt that there could be some security breaches if certain persons were allowed into the country and officials were given firm instructions to prevent this from happening.
Contacted yesterday Minister of National Security Gary Griffith, who was criticised by Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs AJ Nicholson and opposition spokesman on Foreign Affairs and foreign trade Edmund Bartlett, earlier this week for comments about the number of illegal Jamaicans living in Trinidad and Tobago, confirmed that Bakr had been denied entry into Jamaica.
A report on Bakr was also made to the Jamaican Foreign Affairs Minister, that country’s Minister of National Security as well as Jamaica’s Chief Immigration Officer and other senior law enforcement officials.
“It is the right of the Jamaican immigration authority to prevent entry to anyone they may deem a liability to the public purse regardless of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) regulations. The security of a nation is of paramount importance and if they (the Jamaican authorities) see someone who can affect their security it is their right to debar entry which is in line with what we are doing.”
Newsday attempted to reach both Bakr and his son Fuad on their cell phones but calls went unanswered. On September 30, 13 Jamaicans were denied entry into Trinidad and Tobago for various reasons. In an interview with Radio Jamaica news, one of the 13 persons denied entry, Irma Bunting, who said she travelled to Trinidad to visit a relative, complained about inhumane treatment by Immigration officers at Piarco. She said the officers were rude and denied them access to their luggage for clothes change and something to eat. She said they were made to sleep on the floor.
The deportation created concern in Jamaica, with the Jamaican Foreign Affairs Minister expressing ire over further comments by Griffith. However, Griffith has since invited the Jamaican Minister to Port-of-Spain for talks on why the 13 were denied entry.
Griffith had revealed recently that there were 19,000 illegal Jamaicans living in this country resulting in the loss of more than $1 billion in revenue to Trinidad and Tobago annually. In response the Jamaican minister said Griffith was “not getting it” and advised the Trinidad and Tobago Minister to refrain from making statements that could affect the investigation.
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The highlighted section in this newspaper report gives us an idea of why Yasin Abu Bakr was prevented from entering Jamaica and it has nothing to do with Jamaica retaliating against T&T.
The powers that be were worried about Black Unity and Farrakhan and Bakr getting together to master-mind a new Black unity movement between Blacks in America and Blacks in the Caribbean.
The authorities view such a movement of serious Black unity between America and the Caribbean as undesirable and very dangerous.
Bakr refused entry into Jamaica, detained at airport (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Bakr-refused-entry-into-Jamaica-detained-at-airport-279381862.html)
By Mark Bassant Senior Multimedia Investigative Journalist
Story Created: Oct 15, 2014 at 11:49 PM ECT (T&T Express)
JAMAAT-Al-Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr was refused entry into Jamaica yesterday and later detained by security at Norman Manley International Airport after becoming agitated and upset over their refusal to allow him into the country.
The incident comes at a time when Jamaica has called on National Security Minister Gary Griffith to “refrain from continuing to muddy the integration waters” as it responded to his statement that the influx of thousands of illegal Jamaicans into Trinidad and Tobago is putting a strain on its resources.
Griffith confirmed the incident took place yesterday in Jamaica shortly after 1 p.m.
Griffith said as far as he understands, “They were refused entry to Jamaica and I understand that he was going to meet Louis Farrakhan who is in Jamaica and they refused him entry and they refused to leave, and I understand he was detained or sent back and it might be for obvious reasons.”
Sources say Bakr left the country yesterday on an 8 a.m. flight accompanied by his son, Fuad Abu Bakr, and one of his wives.
Well-placed sources in Jamaica said when Bakr arrived there with his family, the immigration authorities refused them entry. They say Bakr became irate with authorities. Three security officers at the airport later restrained Bakr and handcuffed him, and he was later taken into a room where he was detained for almost an hour.
An official report out of Jamaica indicated the Caribbean Airlines flight with Bakr was delayed as a result of him refusing to be seated in the economy section of the aircraft. He was being escorted by Jamaican immigration officers for the return trip. Bakr was eventually taken off the flight, resulting in the delayed departure of the aircraft.
Bakr, who celebrates his 73rd birthday on Saturday, was specially invited by Farrakhan to attend the 19th anniversary of the Million Man March to be held at the National Arena in Kingston, sources said.
“It is the first time the Million Man March is being held outside the United States and several Caribbean nationals, including Trinidadians, have flown to Jamaica for the historic event,” according to local representative for Farrakhan, David Muhammad.
He said, “It is the 19th anniversary of the Million Man March and the imam and his son went up today (yesterday). On Saturday is the imam’s birthday and he was invited by Mr Farrakhan as part of the historic event.” Muhammad said he hoped the incident had nothing to do with the current tension between the Jamaican government and the Trinidad Government over the refusal to allow several Jamaicans entry into the country.
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send all ah them back..........keep the colombians,they are very HARD workin young women.
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Hm.
Shock at the Bim#?
why are you shocked?
Because u does bounce up the rest of illegals. I nevr bounce up no Bajan wuking in no gas station etc.
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It is very easy to say send them back. The costs involved in 'sending them back' will run into the hundreds of millions for the CARICOM citizens alone.
“When these people are here illegally, they are sometimes unemployed and they turn to a life of crime and this could play a very big part in criminal activities in a country. “These individuals also consume our health facilities, education, because there is free access to all, as well as housing and employment opportunities.
This is a function of the weaknesses in our institutions and should be a crucial part of the tackling the issue, if even from the standpoint of assisting with surveillance.
That foreigners are able access public housing is a complete indictment on our authorities and is an effect of the endemic corruption in our housing system.
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I notice this is becoming another conversation changer for the Govt. The Billions being spent in write offs and transparency for the funding of the new highway is no longer the hot topic :D
Noticed how the conversation changed when the CR bill was introduced when everyone was demanding answers on Life Sport. People are easily distracted from one issue to the next
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ARE YOU ILLEGAL
By NALINEE SEELAL (Newsday).
IMMIGRATION authorities will begin an exhaustive door-to-door crackdown to weed out illegal immigrants within the next two months, National Security Minister Gary Griffith revealed yesterday adding that the estimated 110,000 illegal immigrants living in this country, will be given a window of opportunity between next month and early January, to have their status regularised.
He warned however, those who fail to comply will be found and deported.
Several arms of the Ministry including the Immigration Dept, Police and the National Operations Centre (NOC) will be engaged in the illegal immigrant weed out exercise.
“After the window closes, all persons who have not been regularised, we will be doing a massive campaign. We will be like a parang side...we will be going from house to house and any person who is here illegally we will be sending them back to their country,” Griffith told Newsday.
He said certain procedures and formalities are being worked out at present and this window of opportunity will be afforded to illegal immigrants in the next few weeks. Griffith said there are many illegal immigrants living in this country who are contributing heavily to crime and gang activity. He said if these undesirables are removed, it will have a positive impact on the fight against crime. The country will benefit when these illegal immigrants are returned to their respective countries,” Griffith said.
The Minister noted it is a fact there are over 110,000 illegal immigrants in this country and from records he has gotten, there may be more. “I don’t want this to be seen as a witch hunt in any way. The fact is that anyone can question my stance and I am not turning a blind eye to the fact that over ten percent of the adult population in this country are persons here illegally. That is unacceptable.”
“It goes to the concept of the ‘broken window theory’...people might not see this as a serious situation but it is, because we have intelligence that confirms there are many persons who are here as illegal immigrants and who are involved in all aspects of drug related activity and serious crimes.
“It is not coincidental that this problem started just around the same period of the escalation in gang activity, around 2004 or 2006, so it shows there is a relationship between illegal immigrants and serious crimes,” Griffith told Newsday.
Griffith made it clear that not all immigrants are involved in crime. He said immigrants have contributed to this country’s development but those upstanding citizens are the ones whose status are above board and are not in this country on the sly.
He said it is his duty as National Security Minister to treat with the issue of illegal immigrants seriously in order to nip the problem of illegal immigrants being involved in crime in the bud.
Griffith said this initiative does not mean that all illegal immigrants will be targetted for deportation hence the reason for a window of time and opportunity being afforded to them to check with the authorities to have their status updated. He believes many of these immigrants can make a meaningful contribution to society but they must do so as properly documented immigrants with a legitimate reason for being in the country.
“If we see you are here working illegally and if you have not regularised and registered it means you are not paying taxes. You are not taking out NIS from your employees, you are not paying Corporation tax. It means you are indirectly cheating on the State.
“Illegal immigrants are utilising the education system, health system, employment opportunities. Listen, Trinidad and Tobago welcomes you with open arms but you must be regularised. So we are giving these persons a chance to come forward during this brief window of opportunity because if we find you afterwards we will automatically send you home.
“Come forward, regularise yourself, take your pain and if you have an employer who can vouch for you and we are told you can be of value to the country and you do not fit the two criteria instrumental in removing you, that is, (a) being a liability to the public purse, you don’t have a job, we don’t know where you are living, you don’t have any employer, you have no skill or (b) you are a threat to National Security...if you do not fit these categories then you stand a very good chance of being regularised,” Griffith said.
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I wonder what areas are the immigration dept. canvassing.
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I wonder what areas are the immigration dept. canvassing.
:frustrated: this is they bright plan?
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I wonder what areas are the immigration dept. canvassing.
:frustrated: this is they bright plan?
RUN .... HIDE!!!
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I wonder what areas are the immigration dept. canvassing.
:frustrated: this is they bright plan?
RUN .... HIDE!!!
That is d best u could come up wit POOR
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This no brainier plan should be easy- start with all those who were brought in from Guyana to pad the votes in previous elections. Lol
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send all ah them back..........keep the colombians,they are very HARD workin young women.
:rotfl: :rotfl:
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I wonder what areas are the immigration dept. canvassing.
:frustrated: this is they bright plan?
I think its a good plan. One-month window for illegals to come forward. If not, then no one can complain when they get the boot.
Immigration into the country should be promoted and encouraged considering our lackluster population growth projection.
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Discrimination against African immigrants (http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,202843.html)
By JULIEN NEAVES Thursday, November 13 2014 (T&T Newsday)
EMANCIPATION Support Committee chairman (ESC) Khafra Kambon yesterday alleged discrimination against undocumented migrants from Africa compared to other immigrants.
He made the claim while speaking at a media conference at the ESC offices in Maraval, accompanied by the wives of former and current detained undocumented African migrants.
Kambon said there should be equality of treatment for all undocumented migrants, but evidence shows, “particular discrimination in the treatment of migrants from the continent of Africa.”
He noted that National Security Minister Gary Griffith had recently announced an “amnesty” or opportunity for undocumented migrants to be registered and assessed so a determination can be made if they can stay in the country. He said while this was taking place there are 27 African migrants at the Immigration Detention Centre in Aripo and the State was making preparations to charter a plane to take these migrants home.
Kambon stressed that it was discriminatory to have an open door to other undocumented migrants, but to “shut the door on those already in detention.” He said the bulk of detainees are from Caricom countries and claimed treatment of these Caribbean migrants has “deteriorated.”
He said there had been two trends in the conversation by Griffith and he had been linking undocumented migrants with crime and fake marriages. He noted that the issue could be discussed without smearing the reputations of people who are victims.
He showed photos of bloodied African immigrants at the Immigration Detention Centre who had been allegedly beaten including 40 year-old Time Kings from Nigeria, who was subsequently released.
He said an impression is given that the ESC wants all undocumented migrants (they prefer this term to illegal immigrants), to have open borders and particularly African migrants but this was not the case. He pointed out that the ESC has sent correspondence over the years recommending deportation of illegal immigrants rather than indefinite detention, “which is against human rights.”
Kambon noted one case of a man detained for 34 months whose wife died a few months after he was first detained and his three children being placed in foster homes. Attorney Fareed Scoon, who is representing Ghanian Musah Ibrahim in a deportation case, said there is an “institutional difference” in the way certain nationalities are treated by the Immigration Division and this was a “policy decision.” He pointed out that Section 5 of the Immigration Act states that once an undocumented immigrant marries a citizen they are eligible to apply for permanent residency.
Scoon said this country should establish a migration policy. He claimed that there were multinational restaurants that had been recruiting hundreds of workers from Guyana and bringing them into this country and they were being granted permits. He also claimed that promises had been made to the Syrian community that migrating Syrians would be provided with Trinidad and Tobago passports.
“Why the same courtesies not extended to Africans,” he asked.
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Late-night legal battle fails to stop deportation of 15 illegal Ghanaian migrants
By Anna Ramdass (Express).
BACK TO AFRICA
A Caribbean Airlines (CAL) plane was chartered at a cost of $2.6 million to deport illegal immigrants back to Ghana yesterday following a marathon 12 hours of hearings before the High Court and Court of Appeal on Saturday in a bid to stop the flight.
CAL flight 763 departed Piarco International Airport around 7 a.m. yesterday with approximately 15 illegal immigrants from Ghana and some 12 Special Branch officers on board.
Before the flight, lawyers for the State—Gerald Ramdeen and deputy Solicitor General Neil Byam—as well as attorneys for some of the immigrants, Faris Scoon and Richard Isaac, had battled before the court in Port of Spain, first at the High Court from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. and then to the Court of Appeal from 2 a.m to 5.45 a.m.
Legal sources told the Express that these sittings were extremely exceptional as they were known in the past to occur for death penalty matters, where warrants of execution were challenged to stop the death penalty from being carried out.
The court hearings took hours because each was heard individually, with the exception on one.
There were five applications for judicial review from Ghanaians Abdul Raheem Suleiman, Henry Mensah, Ernest Aglago (these two were heard together as one application), Abdullah Pechie, Olatunji Thomas Adams and Richard Osoir Appiah.
Mensah and Aglago, who have been illegally in Trinidad since 2005 and who attempted to seek refugee status from the United Nations through the Living Waters community, stating that they were fearful of returning to Ghana because of the Ebola virus.
Ghanaian Seibu Abdulai made an application for habeas corpus.
The men tried to challenge the deportation order of the Chief Immigration Officer but failed at the High Court.
Justice Ricky Rahim rejected their applications and also ruled that they pay the State’s legal costs.
Their attorneys immediately appealed Justice Rahim’s ruling and proceeded to the Court of Appeal, where Justice Gregory Smith heard the matter and also dismissed all the applications and ordered that the deportation order be executed.
Following Justice Smith’s orders the men were immediately whisked away to Piarco, where the CAL plane was waiting to take them to Ghana.
AG: NONE ABOVE THE LAW
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan told the Express yesterday that the action by the State was warranted and stressed that there was no witch hunt against immigrants.
“The rule of law has prevailed and the process was followed. A historic emergency session of the High Court and Court of the Appeal was necessary to avoid any further delay and unwarranted expenditure that can surpass $2 million,” he said.
Ramlogan justified the $2.6 million private charter, saying that it was difficult to get visas for these men to travel back to Ghana through commercial flights as countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and Brazil did not want to grant the intransit visas.
“This is not a witch hunt, we are asking persons to come forward and we are providing them with the opportunity to be regularised,” said Ramlogan.
The AG said some illegal immigrants have a track record related to criminal activities.
He said one of the persons who applied for judicial review travelled to the United Kingdom and was held in England for transporting drugs from Trinidad.
Ramlogan said that person was sent back to Trinidad after he served his sentence in the UK.
“Our intelligence suggests that there are many dimensions to this problem, including links to the gangs, drugs, arms and other crimes that have plagued our society.”
Ramlogan said the State will remain flexible and open in hearing each case and will be fair based on the evidence provided.
However, he said, no attempts to misuse this country’s immigrations laws as a cover for criminal activities will be tolerated.
Asked about the cost to charter the plane, the AG said: “We had no choice in the matter, in law it is the home country that is responsible for the cost of repatriation, unfortunately there are countries that refuse to pay and it becomes a burden on our taxpayers.
“Suffice it to say, no one is above the law and all illegal immigrants will be treated in the same manner.”
He also disclosed that a new gambling and betting law was being drafted.
Ramlogan said this will pay special attention to the numerous casinos and restaurants that have been popping up all over the country and manned by an influx of Chinese immigrants.
He said there was a parallel system whereby these casinos were eating into the National Lotteries Control Board’s (NLCB) business in an illegal manner and, under these new laws, the matter would be examined and dealt with under a microscope.
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REBELS IN OUR LAND
By Anna Ramdass (Express).
2013: Special Branch warned ex-minister Warner of ‘serious threat’ posed by 66 Nigerian students in T&T
Nigerian rebels who were involved in military attacks against the Nigerian government spent a year in this country as tourism students.
This occurred even though the head of the Special Branch had raised a red flag and advised that they be sent back to their country as they posed a serious security threat to Trinidad and Tobago.
The issue of illegal immigrants has gripped national attention over the past few weeks, but since last year security intelligence agencies were probing the issue and wrote to former national security minister Jack Warner raising alarm about the 66 Nigerians, advising that they could cause havoc in this country.
The Express obtained a copy of the secret letter, dated March 27, 2013, to Warner from the head of the Special Branch in which he stated that the Nigerians were former combatants who were involved in numerous military attacks against Nigerian government oil installations located in the Niger Delta region, which led to the total shutdown of that country’s oil production.
Noting that the Nigerians were carded to be in Trinidad for one year, the officer stated: “They can be easily assimilated into the society and have the ability to assist others to create disastrous havoc in this country. These are experienced, violent militants and, as such, I wish to emphasise that their arrival should be considered a serious threat to our national security. In light of this, serious consideration should be given in having these individuals returned to their country and in the interim closely monitored.”
The Express contacted Warner yesterday, but he said he could not recall the letter.
However, commenting on the current deportation of illegal immigrants, Warner said his style would have been different and he would have been “more humane”.
Sources told the Express that some of the 66 Nigerians had caused serious trouble whilst they were here and on occasions the police were called in to quell situations which turned violent as they fought among themselves and created disturbances in the areas in which they stayed.
They entered this country under a government to government arrangement where they were to come here and be trained at the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute in conjunction with the National Energy Skills Centre.
The Special Branch head, in his letter to Warner, indicated that in their investigations of these Nigerians, a letter was found in their possession purported to be from the office of the special adviser to the President of Niger Delta, Nigeria, Kingsley Kuku, to the comptroller general of the Nigerian immigration service headquarters.
The Express also obtained a copy of this confidential letter.
The letter stated the Nigerians were former combattants who were involved in numerous attacks against the Nigerian government oil installations located in the Delta region and their actions had almost led to the total shutdown of that country’s oil production.
The document stated that they were granted amnesty and had undergone non-violent transformational training at the Presidential Amnesty Demobilisation camp in Nigeria.
The Special Branch head informed Warner that the move to send these Nigerians to Trinidad was questionable and suspicions as there were numerous hospitality institutes in Nigeria while there were only two in this country.
The officer stated that within the last four to five years successive Nigerian governments have had to cope with an upsurge of terrorist attacks and the proliferation of new militant groups and they were willing to use violence to highlight the socio-economic and religious plight they faced.
“...One may reasonably conclude that the Nigerian authorities through its bilateral agreement with other countries was using these measures to rid their country of persons who are deemed to be a threat to the security of their country,” stated the Special Branch head.
He also indicated that the presence of the 66 Nigerians in this country potentially posed an immediate threat to the national security as law enforcement continues to grapple with the scourge of criminal activity.
The Express understands that the 66 Nigerians left Trinidad after their training was completed, but there were challenges during their stay and difficulty to get them to leave.
GRIFFITH: SEVERAL
RED FLAGS RAISED
National Security Minister Gary Griffith told the Express that he was aware of the letter that was sent to Warner and said that this was just one of several red flags that were raised.
Griffith reiterated that national security intelligence has found that there is a direct correlation to some illegal immigrants and criminal activities in this country.
He said he was not deeming all illegal immigrants as national security threats but there are some who pose a risk to the nation and that is why the Ministry is intent on clamping down on the situation and offering regularisation of status.
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WE NOT RACIST
By SEAN DOUGLAS (Newsday).
THE deportation of African nationals last Sunday was not motivated by racism because Chinese and Indian illegal immigrants are also routinely detained and deported, Minister of National Security Gary Griffith said yesterday.
His defence of the deportation of 11 African illegal immigrants came after Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) head Khafra Kambon claimed it was inhumane to send the men back to Africa penniless, with just the shirts on their backs and without time to say goodbye to their grieving wives and children, left behind in this country.
Meanwhile, one man who fell through the deportation net was said by Kambon to be on “sick leave” of sorts. Told by this, Minister Griffith said that person once located can be deported and banned from future entry to TT.
Griffith’s statement yesterday came on the heel of ESC claims of the Immigration Division “unfairly” targetting Africans for deportation. “The Minister has noted that certain activists are again attempting to incite an emotional response to the subject matter,” Griffith said in a statement sent to the media.
“While that is their right as activists, any attempt to coerce the authorities into actions that subvert the rule of law is ultimately doomed to fail as this is a country built on the rule of law.”
Griffith also spoke with Newsday via phone from New York City where he is currently on State business.
He said in addition to illegal entry to TT, some deportees had committed offences such as working without a work-permit. “So as much as I understand and applaud Mr Kambon in what he is trying to do, we have to look at each case individually and we have to look at the individual. So the person who has absconded — when he is apprehended and shipped back, he will never be allowed re-entry into Trinidad.”
While there is no amnesty, Griffith said he is giving a window of opportunity for illegal immigrants to apply to regularise their status, so as to avoid them being a drain on the public purse or getting into crime, but instead become law-abiding taxpayers.
“If you do not use this window, we’ll close that window and everyone else after that period will be deported if they are illegal immigrants.” He bemoaned businessmen who exploited illegal immigrants in their hire by imposing punitive fines for infractions so as to withhold their money, without redress to the police/courts.
“So it meant something equated with indentured labour, if not slavery. I could not turn a blind eye to this.” He urged businessmen to get their immigrants regularised. “This is not about profiling. There is no set of prejudice in this. This is a matter - regardless of whether you are from China, India, Africa or Mars - if you are breaking the law, if you are an illegal immigrant, you would be deported.”
Griffith said some businessmen are upset at him tackling illegal immigration as they make lots of money by trafficking in persons, with the irony being that many Africans are hired by security companies.
He said based on initiatives in the last year, TT has been upgraded in the human-trafficking ratings from “tier two” watch list to “tier two” list.
He dismissed claims that only Africans are targetted but not nationals from China and India. “It’s a very childish statement. Some people are stating there are Indians here who have been working on Expo, but the point is that these persons have work-permits,” said Griffith.
“All you need to do is comply with the requirements stipulated in the laws of Trinidad and Tobago to have a temporary work-permit, a visa, a minister’s work permit or an exempt and that will be afforded to you.”
Again he flatly denied any racial profiling in the deportations. “So persons from anywhere in the world, if you land in TT prior to your arrival you do similar to what the actions being made about certain people from China and India. They have come forward, made the request and have a work-permit which gives them the authorisation to remain in TT, based on temporary employment or on being regularised.
“If it is that they didn’t do that, many persons from China and India would have also been deported.
“So it has nothing to do with ethnic composition or anything along that line. It has to do with if you’re breaking the law and you don’t come forward to make a request for a visa, minister’s permit or work permit, and we find that you are working and have gone outside the time stipulated for you to remain in the country, you are deemed an illegal immigrant.
Contrary to what Mr Kambon has said, how could it be profiling when (just) two percent of the persons repatriated this year are from Africa, Griffith asked. “What about the other 98 percent comprising persons from the Caribbean, North America, Europe, China, India? Well they’ve all been repatriated, and there was never a concern about it. It’s just that Mr Kambon is more vociferous than most. How can he look at two percent (from Africa) and say that there is racial discrimination? There isn’t,” Griffith said.
Griffith, in his statement, said his Ministry’s mandate is to secure and protect the entire nation and its borders and points of entry, inclusive of tackling illegal immigration.
Kambon reported that Musah Ibrahim is still ill after his 19-month detention and his wife would likely submit a medical certificate to the Immigration Division to explain his absence last Friday when he avoided being caught in a dragnet, which saw 11 African nationals being deported.
Kambon told Newsday he will not pry into Ibrahim’s business but said he would not advise anyone to go underground and live like a rat in evading the authorities.
However he hoped Ibrahim would not be deported, saying this would leave a child fatherless in TT.
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2 Chinese nationals ordered out of TT
By AZARD ALI (Newsday).
A DAY AFTER 11 African nationals were deported to Ghana, two Chinese nationals appeared in court yesterday charged with illegal entry into Trinidad and Tobago. The Chinese couple, Jian Sheng Wo, 33, and Weijuan Huang, 29, are expected to be deported later this week by Immigration authorities, following their conviction in the San Fernando Magistrates’ court yesterday.
Sheng Wo and Huang, who are from Guang Dong Province, China were arrested last week Wednesday by police officers of the Penal Police Station. The couple was handed over to Immigration authorities and the charge was laid against them for illegal entry into Trinidad and Tobago.
Yesterday, Sheng Wo and Huang were handcuffed and brought in an unmarked police vehicle assigned to the Immigration Office in San Fernando.
Newsday learnt that police investigators had been, since the arrest of the Chinese couple, probing how the couple arrived in Trinidad.
WPC Hema Singh of the Immigration Office, San Fernando laid the charge against the couple. Sheng Wo and Huang were taken before Magistrate Margaret Alert in the Fourth Court and when the case was called, she read the charge.
An interpreter who is of Chinese descent, related to the couple the charge as read by the magistrate. The charge read to both alleged that on November 19, at a place other than an official port of entry, the Chinese couple entered Trinidad and Tobago.
Both Sheng Wo and Huang, through the male Chinese interpreter, pleaded guilty to the offence which was laid contrary to Section 40:1 of the Immigration Act.
The court prosecutor told Alert that on November 19, both Sheng Wo and Huang, were arrested at Sam’s Bar located along Rochard Douglas Road, Penal. The arrest was made by officers of the Penal Police Station and the couple were handed over to Immigration officers.
When asked how they arrived in Trinidad, the prosecutor told the magistrate, Sheng Wo and Huang said they came at a beach.
However, the court heard, the couple who could not speak English fluently were unable to tell what part of the country this beach is located. Alert later fined Sheng Wo $5,000 or in default, seven months imprisonment. He was allowed 30 days to pay the fine.
As for his wife, Alert placed her on a bond of $5,000 to keep the peace for 12 months.
If Huang breaks the bond, she is to serve three months in jail. After the hearing was completed, the couple was handcuffed separately by police officers and taken away in an unmarked vehicle.
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Regarding the 66 Nigerian nationals: I heard a much more charitable version from "de horse's mouth". That view asserts that rehabilitation was successful, and that only one of the 66 'apples' was bad ... a fella who lost a couple fingers via chop for meddling with a married woman.
I gather some of these 66 have moved on to better things, including further studies and life in places like the US.
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Several years ago firemen in the USVI bounced up a group of dripping wet Chinese nationals who had seemingly just hit the shore. Heard this account from personnel at the nearby airport (which is apparently where they were heading).
Have also heard of activity along the same line in Central America. We are not immune.
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2 Chinese nationals ordered out of TT
By AZARD ALI (Newsday).
A DAY AFTER 11 African nationals were deported to Ghana, two Chinese nationals appeared in court yesterday charged with illegal entry into Trinidad and Tobago. The Chinese couple, Jian Sheng Wo, 33, and Weijuan Huang, 29, are expected to be deported later this week by Immigration authorities, following their conviction in the San Fernando Magistrates’ court yesterday.
...
However, the court heard, the couple who could not speak English fluently were unable to tell what part of the country this beach is located. Alert later fined Sheng Wo $5,000 or in default, seven months imprisonment. He was allowed 30 days to pay the fine.
As for his wife, Alert placed her on a bond of $5,000 to keep the peace for 12 months.
If Huang breaks the bond, she is to serve three months in jail. After the hearing was completed, the couple was handcuffed separately by police officers and taken away in an unmarked vehicle.
So wait, wait, wait...they getting deported this week but the man was allowed 30 days to pay his fine?? ...is he coming back to Trinidad to pay it? Why place the wife on a 12-month bond to keep the peace when in a couple days she will be out of the country for good??
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$2.6 million to send back 15 people.
From the official stats:
People who have overstayed their time in Trinidad and Tobago and have not yet departed:
• Bangladeshis: 167
• Barbadians: 7,169
• Chinese: 4,593
• Colombians: 6,388
• Dominican Republic: 2,256
• Cubans: 1,434
• Grenadians: 6,947
• Guyanese: 25,884
• Indians: 3,651
• Nigerians: 1,071
• Filipinos: 4,437
• St Lucians: 4,391
• St Vincent: 9,606
• Suriname: 1,944
• Venezuelans: 10,574
Source: National Security Ministry
How often are other detainees deported and at what cost? I assuming that the cost is that much because there isnt really an established direct route to the African continent. But since this happens quite often according to the Minister.....how much is spent to do this? Especially as according to the statistics of people who have overstayed their time Nigerians (who, are not the only source of illegal African immigrants) are the second lowest in number.
Now these stats focusing on different aspects eh. These stats presented are of people who overstayed. I assume those who were deported were detention center detainees. Making the (very likely to be ) flawed assumption that the ratio of detainees at the center mimic the ratio of persons that have overstayed....that would be a small portion of the population of detainees.
If not...and they actually occupy a significant portion of inmates at the detention center..what are the contributing factors that have resulted in them being the majority of the detainee population when they may very well be in the minority in terms of over staying time?
This issue isnt that straightforward to me.
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The Express understands that the 66 Nigerians left Trinidad after their training was completed, but there were challenges during their stay and difficulty to get them to leave.
Another group of students from Nigeria ... also from Delta State arrived in the country last week. It's asserted that this group (which has no personnel with combatant experience) should thrive and excel given the opportunity provided. Part of this view is that the rebel group achieved and thrived, thus this non-combatant group is poised to do as well or better.
The issue of illegal immigrants has gripped national attention over the past few weeks, but since last year security intelligence agencies were probing the issue and wrote to former national security minister Jack Warner raising alarm about the 66 Nigerians, advising that they could cause havoc in this country.
The problematic with bringing discussion regarding these student groups into a conversation about illegal immigrants is that the discussion starts to treat xenophobia rather than immigration. These student groups arrive legally, not illegally. Perhaps with accompanying incentives.
Certainly, there was merit in raising national security considerations, but these arrangements are facilitated at an official level between a national government and a state government. It's not helpful to muddy the waters by conflating them into the illegal immigration discussion.
A few years ago, at a regular primarily Trini and Jamaican sweat, one of the occasional ballers was a quiet fella from Nigeria. One day after de sweat we end up chatting, and he shared that he was a US-based dentist who began his training in Trinidad & Tobago. Loved our country. Said he wouldn't be where he is today without us etc. Surely we could locate a balance in engaging this issue because it's all about locating opportunity.
My understanding is that the recent arrivals will not be receiving tourism training. I gather they will be training in the oil and gas sector.
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AG slams race talk: 734 illegal immigrants of Caricom neighbour deported
By Ria Taitt Political Editor (Express)
GUYANA #1
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has described as “mischievous, malicious and very dangerous” charges of racial and religious discrimination in the arrest of people or racial profiling in the deportation of illegal immigrants by the Government of the People’s Partnership.
Ramlogan said statistics from 2010 to October 2014 showed “the number one country with deportees from Trinidad and Tobago is not the African continent, not India, but Guyana. “The truth of the matter is that illegal immigrants from the African continent were way down on the list at number seven. The total number of African immigrants that have been deported from 2010 to now is 70 persons. Seventy African deportees in four, nearly five, years, against 734 Guyanese (in the same period).
“So when we run to light a fire, coming on the heels of the Ferguson experience in the US and we jump to pour kerosene to light a social flame that we cannot control, then we must look to the truth which shall set us free. And the statistics show that we must reject outright that kind of nonsense and absurd allegation against the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.”
There is absolutely no merit, truth or justification in it, he said, adding it was mischievous, malicious and very dangerous in a society such as this.
Statistics - 1,757 deported:
He said he asked for statistics from the head of Immigration, Gerry Downes, because he wanted to see if there was any merit in this charge about discrimination against deportees from Africa.
The statistics provided revealed out of a total of 1,757 deportees between 2010 and now, 41.8 per cent of deportees (734) were from Guyana. He said coming second after “with a big gap”, was Jamaica, the country of origin of 18.5 per cent of deportees (325 people).
Other Caribbean countries (Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Dominica) were third, with 11.4 per cent of deportees; fourth was Asia (China, Indian and other Asian countries), with 10.2 per cent; fifth was Central and South America (5.7 per cent); sixth was Caricom countries (excluding Guyana and Jamaica), 5.7 per cent.
Speaking in the Senate on the Precursor Chemicals Bill, Ramlogan said: “We have a tendency in Trinidad to call upon the law enforcement officers to do their duty and enforce the law... and when they do... the very same people criticise and condemn them. The latest trend is if you arrest anybody—racial profiling, religious profiling. I don’t know what they expect the police to do.
“It is high time that we stop this hypocritical behaviour in Trinidad and Tobago and allow the law enforcement agencies to do their job as we were trained to do.”
The Attorney General said one had to be careful about pouring scorn on reports from security agencies in the country. He said on the African continent there was a “huge opium/heroin trade” and there was piracy on the high seas, therefore “one cannot bury one’s head in the sand”.
Ramlogan said Trinidad and Tobago could not remain nonchalant in the face of entrepreneurial drug cartels which have already tried to use countries of the Caribbean to divert chemicals.
He quoted a 2006 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report which stated: “Trinidad and Tobago has an advanced petrochemical sector, which requires the import and export of chemicals that can be diverted for the manufacturing of cocaine hydrochloride. Precursor chemicals originating from Trinidad and Tobago have been found in illegal drug labs in Colombia.”
He said in a 2007 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Training Manual, an example of diversion was cited. “A Mumbai-based exporter presented to the Narcotics Commissioner of India a No Objection Certificate from the Competent Authority of the importing country for export of two million ephedrine tablets to Trinidad and Tobago. Suspicion led to enquiry, which confirmed that the actual quantity permitted in the NOC was 200,000 tablets only.”
He said according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime World Drug Report 2014, cocaine supply indicators showed that the Central and South America and the Caribbean seizures in 2011-2012 amounted to over 70 per cent of global total. “This is a damning statistic and certainly supports the need for stricter controls on cocaine production,” he said.
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At this moment - I dont think that Trinidad could function without guayanese labor since a lot of trinis rather work CEPEP.
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Other Caribbean countries (Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Dominica) were third, with 11.4 per cent of deportees; fourth was Asia (China, Indian and other Asian countries), with 10.2 per cent; fifth was Central and South America (5.7 per cent); Sixth was Caricom countries (excluding Guyana and Jamaica), 5.7 per cent.
Haiti and Dominica are CARICOM member states. Why treat them separately?
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At this moment - I dont think that Trinidad could function without guayanese labor since a lot of trinis rather work CEPEP.
Would you or your family do the work that Guyanese do?
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T&T borders open to Nigerians—PM
By Reshma Ragoonath (Guardian)
‘No blacklisting’
hile Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says no-one will be blacklisted for entry into T&T, she remains adamant that security forces will do what is necessary to ensure public safety. The Prime Minister made the declaration on Tuesday night at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA), San Fernando, as she addressed reporters on concerns raised over a group of Nigerians with alleged terrorist links who arrived in T&T in 2013.
Commenting on the flagging of several Nigerian students as potential threats then, Persad-Bissessar, head of the National Security Council, admitted she was aware of a letter sent to then National Security Minister Jack Warner in 2013 advising him of the security threat the group of 66 posed. She said at that point the Nigerians, who were allegedly involved in military action against the Nigerian government, were placed under constant monitoring.
“Minister Griffith was then our adviser with respect to National Security Council (NSC) matters. “We kept the police on board... intelligence sources. Nothing really extraordinary happened the, so they were under constant monitoring and we continue to do the same,” she said after attending the Cedar Grove Private School’s annual Christmas concert.
Persad-Bissessar assured T&T was not closing its borders to immigrants from Nigeria or other African countries as has been suggested in the wake of the recent deportation of a group of Ghanaians. However, she said monitoring would be constantly conducted.
“We cannot blacklist every person because of the transgressions of a few. We will have to do what we have to do to ensure safety and security,” she said, adding that Government “will do all we can to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.”
Threat over
Commenting on media reports of public fear that the suspected Nigerian militants may still be in the country, the PM said: “It appears to be persons who were here for one year, so that one year has expired.” She assured citizens had no reason to be fearful, especially since the situation was being dealt with by the National Security Ministry. “I do know that there are some other students who have come and therefore we continue to monitor those matters to ensure safety and security,” she said.
MORE INFO
In a 2013 letter to then National Security Minister Jack Warner, Special Branch had warned of 66 Nigerian rebels residing as students in T&T. The letter, which was highlighted in the media earlier this week, suggested that the Nigerians were involved in military attacks against the Nigerian government and had stayed close to one year in T&T as tourism students.
The Nigerians were former combatants involved in military attacks against Nigerian state oil installations in the Niger Delta region. That para-military action forced the shutdown of that country's oil production. The suspected militants reportedly entered T&T under a government-to- government arrangement for training at the T&T Hospitality and Tourism Institute in partnership with the National Energy Skills Centre.
However, the T&T Hospitality and Tourism Institute claimed the allegation was untrue. The Head of the Special Branch had advised Warner then that the suspected rebels be sent back to their country since they posed a serious security threat.
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At this moment - I dont think that Trinidad could function without guayanese labor since a lot of trinis rather work CEPEP.
Would you or your family do the work that Guyanese do?
Hell yes!! If I came to T&T without much and......
If I am allowed to squat freely on government land, then I am offered land and housing in marginal constituencies in front of born and breed Trinis (who have been on the housing waiting list for decades and are still waiting) and I am also able to regularized or gain dual citizenship quite rapidly in return for voting for the current government that has given me preferential treatment above other groups for what they view as political gain.
This is why we now have a large population in T&T who are in the country for what they can get rather than for genuine love for the country.
PS:
Btw right now the current head of UWI in Trinidad is an Indo-Guyanese so Guyanese are doing quite well in T&T. In fact I would estimate that at least half the Indians living in T&T now have Guyanese roots. What I find worrying though is that I personally know of bright Afro-Trinis with distinctions in their subjects and who have meet all the entry requirements but have been unable to gain entry to UWI in Trinidad. As a result they had to go to Jamaica and elsewhere at extra financial cost to themselves and their family and were immediately accepted. So it seems that race discrimination politics in T&T is now even affecting the education system especially at university level.
It looks like we are trying to become like the new Apartheid South Africa of the Caribbean under the current government but there are plenty supporters of the current government who are only too happy to stick their heads in the sand about what is taking place. Nazi Germany and Apartheid South Africa did not become the racist regimes they became over night, the price of freedom and democracy is eternal vigilence.
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At this moment - I dont think that Trinidad could function without guayanese labor since a lot of trinis rather work CEPEP.
Would you or your family do the work that Guyanese do?
I did.
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At this moment - I dont think that Trinidad could function without guayanese labor since a lot of trinis rather work CEPEP.
Would you or your family do the work that Guyanese do?
I did.
I did also.
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Report: Big J’can drug ring in T&T
By Mark Bassant CCN Senior Multimedia Investigative Journalist
JAMAICAN nationals in this country have quietly been setting up extensive drug-running operations with South American links and extending their turf in parts of Trinidad with the predominant use of Jamaican drug mules.
These is the major finding contained in a top secret report exclusively obtained by the Express and TV6 News that was prepared in consultation with several intelligence agencies and submitted to the National Security Council in mid-October of this year.
More than two months ago, Minister of National Security Gary Griffith was given a severe tongue-lashing by Jamaican government officials for refusing 13 Jamaican nationals into this country in early October.
In a news release sent out by Griffith on October 11 in which he made reference to the Jamaican nationals, he said: “They were found providing conflicting information on the reasons for their visit, with their stories not being corroborated by their intended hosts, being hosted by Jamaican nationals in the country with illegal visitor status and having insufficient funds to support the length of their intended stay in the country.”
The intelligence report dated October 15, 2014, tells a tale about the growing trend of Jamaicans in this country allegedly involved in the organised drug trade and stamping their own turf.
The report states that within the last five years several patterns have been observed on the activity of Jamaicans at the nation’s seaport and airports.
Among them:
• Jamaican nationals—men and women— arrested each year in this country for possession of illegal drugs during the period 2009 to 2013.
• Trafficking of marijuana continued to take place between Jamaica and Trinidad where the drug is then traded for cocaine which is either sent to Jamaica for repackaging for the North American or European market or it leaves Trinidad for countries such as Canada. While Jamaicans are reportedly as skilful in preparing “swallowers”, Nigerians are said to have more sophisticated and creative means of hiding cocaine.
• Reports indicated Jamaican cells set up their own operations in Trinidad due to a lack of trust in Trinidadian drug-trafficking organisations. There is a tendency for local drug traffickers to steal the drugs prior to the arrival of their Jamaican counterparts or to be dishonest and underpay for the quantities of marijuana they receive. Therefore, Jamaican traffickers have resorted to establishing their own operations manned by Jamaican nationals.
It was also reported that Jamaican drug traffickers were not only travelling to this country for the purpose of drug trafficking but that they were also based here.
• It was inferred that local traffickers had been supplying the Jamaicans with cocaine; however, it is possible that while in Trinidad the Jamaicans were themselves networking directly with South American groups for trafficking of cocaine.
• There is, however, some networking with local drug traffickers, as it is believed a number of Jamaicans are at present being housed in different areas within Trinidad in particular in Central Trinidad—mainly Chase Village and Endeavour Road.
JAMAICANS AND THE IMMIGRATION DIVISION
The report also points to Jamaicans intentionally trying to mislead the Immigration Division of Trinidad and Tobago:
• The landing of drug mules is reportedly facilitated by members of the drug-trafficking network who pay locals as much as TT$500 for their name and address to be used by drug mules as their intended address while in the country. While the mules do not go to the stated address, the locals confirm that they are staying at the address if they are contacted by the Immigration Division. It is therefore likely that the same person and address could be recorded for several mules entering this country.
• Reports received in 2012 stated that drug mules travelling from Jamaica can be paid between US$1500 and US$2,000 for the trip. This could refer to the one-way trip since many Jamaicans have been known to seek employment in Trinidad once they arrive. Several females have been found working at clubs doing striptease dancing. Other Jamaicans (male or female) work in the security industry. Therefore, having declared that they are in the country for two weeks, they are often granted a stay up to six months after which they seek extensions.
• Reports indicate Jamaicans are in the country illegally and they have settled mostly in Central Trinidad (Edinburgh, Carlsen Field) although some have also been known to live in Sangre Grande, Carenage and Diego Martin. It is possible some Jamaicans who trafficked drugs to Trinidad and Tobago and are seeking a new life in this country are still involved in drug trafficking operations here.
The report pinpoints a particular Jamaican drug kingpin who has been thriving with his drug trafficking activities in Trinidad since 2009 using major connections such as ex-Jamaican Defence Force, port personnel as well as Jamaican Coast Guard.
The report states: “A private security firm tasked with security checks prior to sailings from Jamaican ports was targeted by the said individual’s network.
“Over an unspecified period, information suggested that employees of the said private security firm lost their lives as they attempted to carry out their duties on the port. Sources indicate that the responsibility of performing the security checks at the Jamaican ports was subsequently transferred to the Jamaican Coast Guard where it is inferred that the likelihood of collusion was high.”
The report also demonstrates the Jamaican drug kingpin’s far reaching arms in Trinidad, which they believe is still ongoing.
“The Jamaican individual specialised in the trafficking of marijuana through the use of ‘parasites’ thus his network also included divers who were sent to Trinidad ahead of shipments and Customs and Excise personnel often flagged them given that the divers arrived by air, travelling light and equipped with diving gear. In 2012, reports have been received on the said Jamaican individual arriving in the country to oversee the divers’ removal of the illegal drugs. No further information on the said individual or his operations has been received; however, sources indicate that it is highly likely that these operations have continued.”
The report concludes: “In the criminal sub domain of drug trafficking, Jamaican nationals featured significantly with some necessary targeting of such individuals taking place with the aim of disrupting the illegal activity. While drug trafficking is the primary area of illegal activity of Jamaican nationals in this country, the depth and breadth of their involvement warrant definite attention and monitoring.”
AG: I CAN’T COMMENT
The Express contacted Minister of National Security Gary Griffith who is in New York on State business via text message, but up to press time last night got no response. Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, a member of the National Security Council, when contacted about the report said, “I cannot comment on it because I have not seen the report.”
Attempts to contact Jamaican High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Sharon Saunders, for a comment were unsuccessful as no one answered the office lines when calls were made between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. yesterday.
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The only way Ja can set their so called drug ring, is with the able help of Trinis.
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US group condemns Trinidad’s deportation of Africans
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/US-group-condemns-Trinidad-s-deportation-of-Africans (http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/US-group-condemns-Trinidad-s-deportation-of-Africans)
NEW YORK, (CMC) -- A United States-based Caribbean group has condemned the recent deportation of 70 African nationals by immigration authorities in Trinidad and Tobago, saying that the twin-island republic’s immigration policy is “harmful to CARICOM” (the Caribbean Community).
The Brooklyn, New York-based Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) on Friday said that the action by the incumbent People’s Partnership Government of Trinidad and Tobago “has triggered accusations of racism”.
“The optics and reality of the mostly Indian-based administration of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar deporting a large group of black people are horrible, and have fuelled the criticism,” the group charged.
But the coalition Government has denied suggestions of racial and religious discrimination in the deportation of African nationals, saying that Port-of-Spain had deported more Guyanese citizens than any other citizen of any country.
Attorney General Anand Ramlogan told the Senate that it was “mischievous, malicious and very dangerous” for allegations to be made that the Indo-dominated government was also engaged in racial profiling in the deportation of illegal immigrants.
He told legislators that statistics from 2010 to October 2014 indicated that “the number one country with deportees from Trinidad and Tobago is not the African continent, not India, but Guyana.
“The truth of the matter is that illegal immigrants from the African continent were way down on the list at number seven. The total number of African immigrants that have been deported from 2010 to now is 70 persons. Seventy African deportees in four, nearly five, years, against 734 Guyanese.”
But CGID said Ramgolan, “in his infinite wisdom, has established an obvious pattern of discrimination against Guyanese.
“He strategically stopped short of disclosing the race of the persons repatriated to Guyana; may be for good reason,” the group said. “This insular posture must be condemned.
“T&T cannot aspire to benefit from CARICOM’s free movement of skills, people and capital, within the framework of the CSME (Caribbean Single Market and Economy), while it deliberately discriminates against targeted CARICOM nationals; namely Guyanese, Jamaicans and others,” it added.
“Clearly, T&T’s contentious immigration policy has fractured regional unity,” it continued. The Persad-Bissessar administration’s protectionism has no place in a region where altruistic policies are crucial for unity and progress.”
CGID urged the Trinidad and Tobago administration to “reform its discriminatory immigration policy or leave CARICOM if it wants to continue down this path,”
Last weekend, the Government defended its decision to spend TT$2.6 million (One TT dollar = US$0.16 cents) to charter a plane to deport 15 illegal Ghanians saying that it was difficult to get visas for them men to travel back to their country through commercial flights.
The Ghanaians were deported following a marathon 12-hour court case on Saturday by lawyers to prevent their deportation.
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nah, it have more than that lol
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Jamaician escapee surrenders to Immigration
T&T Newsday Reports.
THE immigration authorities yesterday issued a bulletin over the escape of three detainees from the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) in Aripo last Friday who are still on the run.
The quartet are Jeremy Nelson, 20, of Jamaica, who last visited Chin Chin Road in Cunupia, and who surrendered yesterday; Dickey Amada, 24, of Grenada, who last visited Navet Road in Rio Claro; Rommel Omar Payne, 34, of Barbados who last visited Bernard Trace in Enterprise; and Prince Henry Amalu, 27, of Nigeria who last visited Longdenville and Waterloo.
The men reportedly escaped by prying open two metal panels and by scaling two barbed-wire fences before melting into the nearby forest. The bulletin said that by escaping the men had violated the Immigration Act and so are now subject to arrest without warrant.
Anyone seeing the men is asked to call the IDC at 667-8037.
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Gary willing to supply list of deported Guyanese
By MIRANDA LA ROSE
Thursday, December 25 2014
National Security Minister Gary Griffith says that he would be pleased to provide Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues- Birkett, with the list of 434 Guyanese nationals refused entry to TT, to date.
“I would be pleased to give to the Guyana Foreign Affairs Minister a list of the individuals who have been denied entry because they have no money, they do not know where they are going to work, they do not know where they are going to live, they do not have any skill.
Like that they would either become unemployed, abused by employers similar to indentured labourers, or turn to a life of crime,” Griffith said. Griffith noted that according to the Immigration Division, 434 Guyanese nationals were denied entry into TT for 2014 and not 265 as disclosed by Rodrigues-Birkett.
On December 22, Rodrigues-Birkett expressed concern that over 265 Guyanese had been deported from TT for 2014 saying that it was not good for Caricom integration. She defended Guyanese travelling to TT saying that most of them were good law-abiding people.
At her end of year press conference in Georgetown, Rodrigues-Birkett said that she has spoken with Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Dookeran about the issue.
In a release, Griffith said the denial of entry of Guyanese nationals into TT, “is not a foreign affairs, or even a regional integration issue, but remains one of national security and law enforcement, that all countries in the region should subscribe to and enforce, especially in times of global narcotic trades and international terrorism.”
In response to Rodrigues-Birkett’s concern that those denied entry were labelled as “deportees”, Griffith said persons denied entry were listed as “persons refused entry” and not deportees.
The status of persons refused entry, he said, was different from those deported, since those denied entry may be allowed to enter once they comply with the immigration entry requirements.
Those refused entry, he said, were different from the hundreds of foreign nationals, from various countries worldwide, who are deported annually for breaches of TT’s laws.
According to Griffith, the Immigration Division refuses passengers seeking entry into TT for overstay on previous visit/s, a Watch List hit seeking re-entry, inconsistency in stated purpose of visit, no funds or insufficient funds, expired passport or no passport, passengers arriving with no return ticket, and no means to purchase a return ticket, no work permit or skills certificate.
Persons who have been identified as belonging to the Prohibited classes (Section 8.) of the Immigration Act, Chapter 18:01 are also refused entry.
Statistics revealed recently by the Office of the Attorney General for the period 2010 to October 2014 show that a total of 734 persons were deported from Trinidad.
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What would be revealing in addition to the names of those refused entry to T&T would be a list of names of those deported from T&T and not just for Guyana but for all other Caribbean countries which are part of Caricom.
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All dem Guyanese go claim special compensation from five years ago - remember the one that came and spoke on Jacks political platform hahah that was kicks-
Doh worry like everything else all will be forgotten come election time
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CHINA PAYS FOR 5
By Andre Bagoo
T&T Newsday
ON THE morning of Christmas Day, five Chinese nationals were released from the Immigration Detention Centre at Aripo, after Minister of National Security Gary Griffith invoked his legal powers to order an end to their detention.
Three of the migrants released were male and two were female. Both females, Bo Wang and Ying Xiao, as well as one of the males, Mujiang Feng, were detained at the centre on October 31, 2014. The other two males, Hai Chen and Luxzong Zhang were detained on November 18, 2014.
The release of the Chinese nationals from the detention facility – which is reserved for illegal migrants – was confirmed by Griffith yesterday after the issue was raised by the Emancipation Support Committee chairman Khafra Kambon.
Newsday understands the release of the Chinese detainees came after the intervention of the Chinese Embassy and representations by the Chinese Association of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Chinese authorities provided tickets for all five individuals and they were released into the custody of a person who provided a bond to secure their release.
The individuals remain in the country and are due to depart “within the week” according to one official with knowledge of the matter.
There were unconfirmed reports that the individuals had been in the country for some time and had turned themselves in to authorities to renew their paperwork. However, they had already overstayed their authorised time-period for residency.
Kambon’s spokesperson yesterday made public private correspondence the (ESC) had addressed to the Minister on Monday.
In an open letter, sent to media houses yesterday, Kambon called for an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the release of the Chinese.
“The manner and timing of this release have raised suspicions,” Kambon said. “Furthermore, it has taken place in an environment where the general public and our organisation, the Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad & Tobago, are extremely concerned about the treatment of undocumented migrants by the authorities in this country.
“In addition to widespread ill-treatment we have made the specific accusation of institutionalised discriminatory practices against undocumented migrants from African countries.”
Kambon said the release of the Chinese comes right after 11 nationals of Ghana and Nigeria, some of whom were married to nationals, were deported to their home countries “in a most inhumane manner that is a discredit to our nation”.
“Furthermore continuous reports of corrupt practices among certain Immigration officers increase public concerns when incidents such as these are unexplained,” the chairman said. “We also wish to know how long each one was in Trinidad and Tobago, whether all or any of them entered this country illegally or overstayed their time, whether any of them were charged for any offences and what were the outcomes of those charges. Are any of them married to nationals of Trinidad and Tobago? Do any of them have children born in Trinidad and Tobago where the other parent is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago?”
Kambon added, “Honourable Minister, in relation to undocumented migrants, you have repeatedly spoken about application of the law and equal treatment for all. We too wish to see such principles applied.”
Griffith yesterday denied there was any discrimination in relation to the treatment of the Chinese nationals.
“There is absolutely no discrimination here,” the National Security Minister said. “What the Emancipation Support Committee should be doing is providing sponsorship of tickets for persons who are detained to assist in providing them the airfare so that they can get those individuals home. The African countries do not provide the support for their citizens to return to the country.”
Eleven nationals from African nations were deported in December, the same month the five Chinese nationals were freed. The cost of the deportation, however, was put by State officials then as $2.5 million. They were flown out by private charter.
One day after the African nationals were deported, two Chinese nationals appeared in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court where they pleaded guilty to immigration offences. The Chinese couple, Jian Sheng Wo, 33, and Weijuan Huang, 29, were ordered deported.
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At this moment - I dont think that Trinidad could function without guayanese labor since a lot of trinis rather work CEPEP.
Would you or your family do the work that Guyanese do?
Hell yes!! If I came to T&T without much and......
If I am allowed to squat freely on government land, then I am offered land and housing in marginal constituencies in front of born and breed Trinis (who have been on the housing waiting list for decades and are still waiting) and I am also able to regularized or gain dual citizenship quite rapidly in return for voting for the current government that has given me preferential treatment above other groups for what they view as political gain.
This is why we now have a large population in T&T who are in the country for what they can get rather than for genuine love for the country.
PS:
Btw right now the current head of UWI in Trinidad is an Indo-Guyanese so Guyanese are doing quite well in T&T. In fact I would estimate that at least half the Indians living in T&T now have Guyanese roots. What I find worrying though is that I personally know of bright Afro-Trinis with distinctions in their subjects and who have meet all the entry requirements but have been unable to gain entry to UWI in Trinidad. As a result they had to go to Jamaica and elsewhere at extra financial cost to themselves and their family and were immediately accepted. So it seems that race discrimination politics in T&T is now even affecting the education system especially at university level.
It looks like we are trying to become like the new Apartheid South Africa of the Caribbean under the current government but there are plenty supporters of the current government who are only too happy to stick their heads in the sand about what is taking place. Nazi Germany and Apartheid South Africa did not become the racist regimes they became over night, the price of freedom and democracy is eternal vigilence.
so pro you have proof that half have guyanese roots??? but why stop there though, why not include the other islanders that came to TT under Dr.Williams as well to boost votes??? my great grandmother being one of them from vincey... or my grandfather who opened up business in pos and gave so many trinis employment and brought so much money and goods to trinidad..
lets talk holistically brother... many g8 nations were built on immigration and immigrants... you target indo-guyanese which to me is just biased and subjective...
try to be objective... no one is condoning illegal immigration but why target one group of a certain race??? what is your objective in doing that???
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At this moment - I dont think that Trinidad could function without guayanese labor since a lot of trinis rather work CEPEP.
Would you or your family do the work that Guyanese do?
Hell yes!! If I came to T&T without much and......
If I am allowed to squat freely on government land, then I am offered land and housing in marginal constituencies in front of born and breed Trinis (who have been on the housing waiting list for decades and are still waiting) and I am also able to regularized or gain dual citizenship quite rapidly in return for voting for the current government that has given me preferential treatment above other groups for what they view as political gain.
This is why we now have a large population in T&T who are in the country for what they can get rather than for genuine love for the country.
PS:
Btw right now the current head of UWI in Trinidad is an Indo-Guyanese so Guyanese are doing quite well in T&T. In fact I would estimate that at least half the Indians living in T&T now have Guyanese roots. What I find worrying though is that I personally know of bright Afro-Trinis with distinctions in their subjects and who have meet all the entry requirements but have been unable to gain entry to UWI in Trinidad. As a result they had to go to Jamaica and elsewhere at extra financial cost to themselves and their family and were immediately accepted. So it seems that race discrimination politics in T&T is now even affecting the education system especially at university level.
It looks like we are trying to become like the new Apartheid South Africa of the Caribbean under the current government but there are plenty supporters of the current government who are only too happy to stick their heads in the sand about what is taking place. Nazi Germany and Apartheid South Africa did not become the racist regimes they became over night, the price of freedom and democracy is eternal vigilence.
so pro you have proof that half have guyanese roots??? but why stop there though, why not include the other islanders that came to TT under Dr.Williams as well to boost votes??? my great grandmother being one of them from vincey... or my grandfather who opened up business in pos and gave so many trinis employment and brought so much money and goods to trinidad..
lets talk holistically brother... many g8 nations were built on immigration and immigrants... you target indo-guyanese which to me is just biased and subjective...
try to be objective... no one is condoning illegal immigration but why target one group of a certain race??? what is your objective in doing that???
I am not against immigration and immigrants my friend, I am against bias and discrimination.
Also I am not targeting one group over the other, but our current government is! All I am doing is pointing out some of the blatant racism and bias in how the government is operating which is destroying the fabric of Trinidad & Tobago.
I have all races as members of my family; some look African, some look Indian, soon look Chinese, and some even look White, yet they are blood relatives.
If the current government gets back into power and their plan to steal the next general election works, I can guarantee you that T&T will end up like Guyana or worse.
I just hope the opposition forces unite to get rid of the current corrupt racist government which seems to be determined to empty the treasury in case they lose the next general elections so that it will be an uphill struggle for any government which replaces them to right the ship.
During the last 4 1/2 years the current government has already spent more money than the previous 4 governments put together and we have little to show for it other than most of the government ministers becoming millionaires during their term in power.
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TT, Jamaica will work ‘as friends’
TT Newsday
Friday, April 10 2015
PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Wednesday acknowledged recent immigration issues have demonstrated that there is still work to do on this country’s relationship with Jamaica but said both nations must work together to achieve the dream of independence.
As she commissioned the new Trinidad and Tobago High Commission at Kingston, Persad- Bissessar also called on citizens to celebrate the historic achievements of Caribbean leaders, including former PNM Prime Minister Patrick Manning and former UNC Prime Minister Basdeo Panday.
On relations with Jamaica, Persad-Bissessar alluded to recent immigration matters.
“While recently, on issues of immigration, signals arose that there is still work to do to enhance our diplomatic relations, I give you Trinidad and Tobago’s assurance that we will work to do better, for and by our peoples,” the Prime Minister said at a special ceremony held at 25 Windsor Avenue, Kingston, Jamaica. “Today’s event is appropriately symbolic of our belief, and mission, to ensure that even as we enjoy a long history of good relations, we always do more to enhance our relationship as Caricom nations, and as friends.”
Persad-Bissessar paid tribute to past regional leaders.
“As we celebrate our deep desire to walk towards the future as partners, I always believe it is necessary to ensure that the men and women who came before us find not only a safe place, but also a visible place in history,” the Prime Minister said. “We must never allow ourselves, or our children to forget the giants who came before us, the men and women who fought to create the nations that inspire pride in us today. The likes of (Alexander) Bustamante, (Norman) Manley, (Edward) Seaga, (PJ) Patterson and (Marcus) Garvey must be celebrated alongside the likes of Williams, (George) Chambers, Panday, Manning and CLR James.”
Persad-Bissessar disclosed that approximately 8,000 Trinidad and Tobago citizens live in Jamaica, and also took the opportunity to publically thank law enforcement authorities for their work in the speedy trial of the man who was found to have murdered the daughter of Local Government Minister Marlene Coudray.
“I today recognise the Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewelyn, and her deputy, Maxine Jackson, for the role they played in the successful prosecution of the man charged with the murder, in Jamaica, of the daughter of our Minister of Local Government, Marlene Coudray,” the Prime Minister said. She recalled her personal ties with the northern Caribbean island where she once studied for her Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Diploma in Education at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. She also noted she once taught at St Andrew’s High School in Kingston and lectured at the Mona campus.
“And so this is always a sort of homecoming for me,” the Prime Minister said. In 2013, Persad- Bissessar stood alongside Jamaica Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller to receive the International Association of Political Consultants (IAPC) 2013 Democracy Award. The UNC political leader placed development of democracy in both islands in context of post- Independence history.
“We are therefore bound by history and hope; the pride and strength of our peoples and the determination to make our mark and define our space on the world stage. I’m sure that the over 8,000 Trinidad and Tobago nationals resident in Jamaica will find comfort in seeing our nations standing together in principle and in practice.”
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LOCK UP FOR JAMAICANS
By Darcel Choy (Newsday)
Friday, April 17 2015
THE TWO Jamaican women charged with stealing money during the fatal assault on a Chinese businessman in Curepe last Tuesday (April 7) will spend the weekend behind bars at the Women’s Prison in Golden Grove, Arouca as police try to find out more about them.
The two women — Monique Dennis and Racquel Williams — were remanded into custody yesterday until the matter comes up again on Monday.
They appeared before Magistrate Gillian David-Scotland charged with stealing $834,782.80 from supermarket proprietor Hi Hong Huang on April 7. The magistrate said she will consider bail when they come before her again on Monday.
During their appearance yesterday, the magistrate asked Dennis what ties she had to Trinidad. Dennis replied that she has a sister who lives on Saddle Road, San Juan. The magistrate asked both accused women if they intend to get a lawyer in the matter and they replied, “yes.”
David-Scotland informed Dennis and Williams that they will have to be remanded into custody until tracing can be done in Jamaica.
“That will take a few days so on the next occasion I will deal with the issue of bail,” David-Scotland said. Huang’s relatives were in the court when the two women appeared yesterday
The businessman was attacked by two men and eventually fatally shot while he was walking into his businessplace, Happiness Supermarket, off the Southern Main Road in Curepe on April 7. He was carrying a box containing more than $800,000 in cash when the assault took place.
CCTV cameras captured Huang being wrestled to the ground violently by a man who approached him seeking to grab the box. Another man joined in the melee. Shortly after the attack, the men fled the scene and two women were then seen rummaging and removing contents from the box which the bandits had left behind.
The men have not been caught, but Dennis and Williams were charged with stealing the money after they were taken off a Caribbean Airlines (CAL) flight destined for Jamaica on March 9.
Checks by Newsday yesterday revealed a Facebook page operated by Dennis. It indicated that she was from Kingston Jamaica and moved to Trinidad. The page contains several photographs of Dennis.
Also, when Newsday contacted Jamaica police yesterday, Constable Ingram of the Corporate Communications Unit of the Jamaican Constabulary Force said they have not received any information regarding the case of the two women. The officer said he was unaware of the charges against both women in Trinidad.
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100 ARRIVALS WEEKLY
By COREY CONNELLY (NEWSDAY)
Maria (not her real name) walked in front of a mirror at a dimly-lit bar in Port-of-Spain.
Scantily dressed, she seemed barely out of high school, yet her curvaceous frame a sight to behold.
But it’s a body that houses turmoil often too much for Maria to bear and over which she has no control.
The dream of earning more money brought the bright-eyed,Venezuelan woman to Trinidad and Tobago three months ago on an “illegal” journey by sea. During the six-hour crossing, she wondered how she would be able to take care of elderly people in nursing homes, especially since she had no formal training. She had been offered a job in a nursing home.
When Maria got off the boat at a deserted shore, with a structure barely larger than the home in which she grew up being the only sign of human habitation, her dreams of a better life were promptly shattered.
Three months later, Maria is in debt to her ‘recruiter’, and working in a bar as a prostitute. Her days are consumed only by a desire to return home to Venezuela.
Maria is among hundreds of young Latin American women who have been lured to Trinidad and Tobago over the years by operators of a thriving human trafficking industry. Venezuelan women have become especially easy prey on given the country’s worsening socio-economic status.
Believed to be a multi-million dollar operation — second only to the illegal drug trade — human trafficking in TT is said to be a well-orchestrated scheme involving members of the business community, law enforcement officials, influential persons in the society and others seeking to earn some quick cash.
Women are usually brought into the country via the southern peninsula, specifically Icacos, Cedros and other neighbouring fishing villages. A row of boats beached on shore, children playing happily on the sand, small parlours selling sweets and savouries, men preparing their gear for fishing — residents say beneath the idyllic veneer of seashore serenity, the illegal sex trade flourishes with a vengeance.
It is not uncommon to spot a Venezuelan national or several, in villages along TT’s southernmost region since the South American country and this country do enjoy long-standing relations. But aside from the family connections, many more people are coming ashore for economic reasons. An official at the Customs and Immigration Building in Cedros estimated that at least 100 persons arrive at the port every week.
“Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela have a trade and economic history. But there are also family ties, there is a lot of inter-marriage in Cedros.
“They (the Latin Americans) come easily by boat and are known to enter the mainland, shop and carry back items. So, there is a trade and family relationship because the men here marry the women there. Children are born there. Cedros has Spanish-speaking persons because Venezuela is just a short distance away.”
There is also the business of sex.
The official described as a “cultural thing” what he said was Trini men fondness for Latin women.
“The men in Trinidad who are into commercial sex are attracted to Latin American women who fetch a different price to probably other types,” the official ventured, also revealing that for many teenaged boys in TT, sexual initiation takes place in a brothel with a Latina.
“That is a part of the (TT) culture,” the Customs official said.
He said many of the women do have the required documentation to enter TT while others attempt to elude the authorities in hope of seeking a better life in this country.
“Sometimes, we have had to return women because they failed to clarify the reasons for coming to Trinidad,” the official said.
“Their body language can usually tell if they are lying but in some cases they are coached by the persons coming to collect them on how they should answer. Some of them are even looking for men to marry them.”
The Sunday Newsday discovered that upon arrival in TT, the women are usually housed at brothels masquerading as nightclubs and hotels.
A visit to known “clubs” in south Trinidad showed them to be surrounded by especially high concrete walls and from the exterior, one can see barricaded windows, surveillance cameras and ferocious dogs but nothing to suggest that these are dens of iniquity.
The Port-of-Spain “club” where Maria is forced to work is licenced as a hotel and bar. On a Saturday night, it is filled with throngs of patrons, loud music and cold beers. On Sundays, business is much slower: it is usually regarded as a day for family.
Maria’s “work” usually begins at 7pm and ends around 4 am the following day. On a good night she can earn hundreds of dollars, depending on the needs of her clients. Most of this money will go to her “recruiter”.
Official statistics on the impact of human trafficking in TT are hard to come by but there appears to be a growing demand for underage girls — a development which is engaging the attention of the Counter-Trafficking Unit (CTU).
Established just two years ago as the government’s formal response to human trafficking, the CTU claims some progress. CTU’s Deputy Director Alana Wheeler claims reports to the unit have been increasing.
“Last year, we investigated 35 reports and already for the half of this year, we investigated 35 reports,” she said in an interview at the CTU’s headquarters at Felipe House, corner of Park and Abercromby Streets, in Port-of-Spain.
She said that since the formation of the unit, some 20 trafficking victims have been rescued, 25 percent of which started off as smuggling cases.
Some 13 persons were charged with human trafficking in those incidents, she said.
“What we also found out is that of the 20 cases, the majority were sexual exploitation and that would be Venezuelan, Dominican Republic and Columbian nationals,” she said.
Wheeler anticipated that reports will increase given the unit’s ongoing sensitisation workshops in the various police divisions, other fora and through its hotline, which was launched in March.
The CTU categorise the women in two groups: those who may have been duped into thinking they would receive a better life in this country and those who would come here deliberately to engage in prostitution, largely to support people they have left behind in Latin America. In the latter, many of the women are not even aware that prostitution is illegal in TT.
“What we have found is that because of the economic crisis in Venezuela, there is an increase in the number of girls coming to Trinidad. Of course, it is a financial need and some of these girls are university students and they are lured here to earn US dollars,” Wheeler said.
The women, some of whom are single mothers, may stay in the country for a period of two weeks to a month to get money to buy basic commodities such as toilet paper, rice and flour, before returning home.
“These are considered luxury items in Venezuela right now,” Wheeler said. She noted, though that TT customs officers sometimes confiscate the goods when the women are being repatriated to their country. Wheeler noted that human trafficking was organised crime, saying there were persons facilitating the trade “on both sides.”
“You have corrupt officials, public officers, who also facilitate the crime,” she said, reminding that two police officers have been charged with human trafficking since the establishment of the unit.
One of the police officers, PC Valentine Eastman, was charged in April 2013, with transporting three Columbian women to a brothel in Marabella into prostitution. Eastman, a policeman with 23 years service, was slapped with ten charges under the Trafficking In Persons Act 2011. At the time he was charged, two years ago, Eastman’s case was the first human trafficking matter in the English-speaking Caribbean.
“The police provide protection at the brothels and clubs. They do the moonlighting at these places and even give tip-offs when there is going to be a raid,” Wheeler said. She said sex with the women may also form part of the officer’s payment scheme. “It (human trafficking) is corruption and that is worldwide,” she said.
She said, though that TT, was intent on doing its part to eliminate the threat to existing and potential victims.
The Trafficking in Persons Act, which was proclaimed in January 2013, proposes hefty penalties for public officers found guilty of human trafficking.
Part Five of the legislation, Criminal Offences and Related Provisions, states that any police officer, customs officer, immigration officer, member of the Defence Force, member of the Prisons Service, or any other public official found to be liable for any offence under this Act, he or she is liable on conviction or indictment to imprisonment for 25 years.
In addition, the legislation states that a person who, for the purpose of exploitation, incites, organises or directs another person to recruit, transport, transfer or harbour a child in TT, commits the offence of trafficking in children and is liable on conviction or indictment to a fine of not less than $1 million and imprisonment of not less than 25 years.
Saying that “special concessions” were made in the legislation to address errant public officers, Wheeler said the fines for offenders were “higher than many other jurisdictions.”
Saying that much more needed to be done to combat human trafficking, Wheeler said the CTU does plan to employ more staff to facilitate the increase in the number of investigations coming to the unit.
The CTU now has a full-time staff of 15, comprising Wheeler, an administrative officer, seven police officers, three immigration officers, a senior legal officer and a communications specialist.
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Steups!!!So what the CTU doing?
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Griffith, in a statement, claims that more than 20,000 Jamaicans were residing here illegally and have become a burden on the state.
Former minister blames CSME for Jamaica-T&T migration problems
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Former-minister-blames-CSME-for-Jamaica-T-T-migration-problems
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Former national security minister Gary Griffith is urging the Trinidad and Tobago Government not to be intimidated by calls out of Jamaica for that Caribbean Community (Caricom) country to seek legal action regarding the deportation of Jamaican nationals.
Griffith, in a statement, claims that more than 20,000 Jamaicans were residing here illegally and have become a burden on the state.
Earlier this week, Caricom Deputy Secretary-General Ambassador Dr Manorma Soeknandan said there is need for more sensitisation among regional border officials regarding the rules and procedures governing free travel within the 15-member grouping.
Soeknandan said that the way Caricom nationals were treated as they travelled regionally continued to generate discussion.
Jamaicans have called for a boycott of goods from Port of Spain and earlier this week Opposition legislator called on the new Andrew Holness-led Government to take the matter before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
But Griffith, who served as national security minister in the former government, said: “It is indeed alarming, that the Jamaican Opposition would question the legitimate actions by our immigration officers, as they attempt daily to do their jobs, after being abused constantly by a few Jamaican nationals who attempt to enter our country without the appropriate requirements, and documentation.
“It is because of this, that there are over 20,000 Jamaican nationals who have done just that, by using the CSME (Caricom Single Market and Economy) angle to enter for six months, but then refuse to leave after that six-month period.
“They remain unemployed and become a burden to the State; if unemployed, at times some turn to a life of crime, inclusive of gang activity; If they do work, many are abused by their employers because they are here illegally and paid below the minimum wage; be employed illegally, and hence taking a job away from a bona fide TT citizen who is unemployed," Griffith said.
He said despite their illegal status, the Jamaicans still have full access to State resources such as education, medical care and other social services, and this is costing the State over TT$500 million (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) annually.
Griffith said that while the oil-rich twin island republic always had a policy of welcoming non-nationals, it disallows them solely on the grounds of them being a national security threat or burden to the State purse.
He said that the situation would not have reached to this extreme had Trinidad and Tobago been stringent with its laws.
He said it was this relaxed attitude which resulted in “certain Caricom nationals” abusing the CSME programme.
“To the Jamaican Opposition, if they are not aware, several Jamaican nationals verbally abuse our immigration officers on entry, and below are just a few examples that would confirm that such individuals should definitely be debarred entry if they attempt to enter our country, and no CSME clause can override this,” Griffith added.
The CSME allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and services across the region.
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Online poll shows 82% Jamaicans support boycott of T&T products (Yes this is related to the above post )
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/online-poll-shows-82-jamaicans-support-boycott-tt-products (http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/online-poll-shows-82-jamaicans-support-boycott-tt-products)
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Online poll shows 82% Jamaicans support boycott of T&T products (Yes this is related to the above post )
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/online-poll-shows-82-jamaicans-support-boycott-tt-products (http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/online-poll-shows-82-jamaicans-support-boycott-tt-products)
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they have been wanting to do that a long time ago, it's just that now they have an excuse to show their colors.
for years jamaicans has fought with each other over political difference and now that the political violence was replaced by the gangs they are seeking another opponent to feud with, and that new opponent is us.
the jamaican experience has a lot of non thinking nincompoops in their mids who wield a lot of influence and mislead a lot of these sheepish troublesome lich mobs in their community, and it's sad to see that people who have so much to offer could be so disruptive and with very little provocation.
i really hated patrick manning for buying that money pit of an airline, and more upset that he agreed to this ridiculous treaty of chagauramus. i had enough of those jamaicans in england and witness first hand how little respect they have for trinidadians. i say get out of caricom or amend that silly treaty and get these bachanal people out of our lives once and for all.
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Now Jamaica's Government dissatisfied with T&T's oil prices (and Yes! this is related to the two previous posts!)
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/now-jamaicas-government-dissatisfied-tts-oil-prices
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T&T products removed from grocery shelves in Jamaica
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/news/tt-products-removed-grocery-shelves-jamaica
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Online poll shows 82% Jamaicans support boycott of T&T products (Yes this is related to the above post )
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/online-poll-shows-82-jamaicans-support-boycott-tt-products (http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/online-poll-shows-82-jamaicans-support-boycott-tt-products)
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they have been wanting to do that a long time ago, it's just that now they have an excuse to show their colors.
for years jamaicans has fought with each other over political difference and now that the political violence was replaced by the gangs they are seeking another opponent to feud with, and that new opponent is us.
the jamaican experience has a lot of non thinking nincompoops in their mids who wield a lot of influence and mislead a lot of these sheepish troublesome lich mobs in their community, and it's sad to see that people who have so much to offer could be so disruptive and with very little provocation.
i really hated patrick manning for buying that money pit of an airline, and more upset that he agreed to this ridiculous treaty of chagauramus. i had enough of those jamaicans in england and witness first hand how little respect they have for trinidadians. i say get out of caricom or amend that silly treaty and get these bachanal people out of our lives once and for all.
lots of hate
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Online poll shows 82% Jamaicans support boycott of T&T products (Yes this is related to the above post )
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/online-poll-shows-82-jamaicans-support-boycott-tt-products (http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/online-poll-shows-82-jamaicans-support-boycott-tt-products)
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they have been wanting to do that a long time ago, it's just that now they have an excuse to show their colors.
for years jamaicans has fought with each other over political difference and now that the political violence was replaced by the gangs they are seeking another opponent to feud with, and that new opponent is us.
the jamaican experience has a lot of non thinking nincompoops in their mids who wield a lot of influence and mislead a lot of these sheepish troublesome lich mobs in their community, and it's sad to see that people who have so much to offer could be so disruptive and with very little provocation.
i really hated patrick manning for buying that money pit of an airline, and more upset that he agreed to this ridiculous treaty of chagauramus. i had enough of those jamaicans in england and witness first hand how little respect they have for trinidadians. i say get out of caricom or amend that silly treaty and get these bachanal people out of our lives once and for all.
lots of hate
not hate, small mindedness and arrogance. Anytime you hear people claiming that others don't like them then they are existing on a low level of thought. Right now Caribbean people need plenty education, and I'm not referring to academics.
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TTMA: Jamaicans making up excuses for boycott
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/business-watch/ttma-jamaicans-making-excuses-boycott
Now Jamaica's Government dissatisfied with T&T's oil prices (and Yes! this is related to the two previous posts!)
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/now-jamaicas-government-dissatisfied-tts-oil-prices
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T&T products removed from grocery shelves in Jamaica
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/news/tt-products-removed-grocery-shelves-jamaica
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https://www.youtube.com/v/hjj4pQY9Fgo
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Very few Venezuelans are taking the chance to enter T&T illegally through unofficial ports of entry as the coastline along the South Western peninsula is being manned around-the-clock by a T&T Coast Guard vessel.
The vessel, according to villagers at Icacos, has been anchored off the coast for the past two months.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-05-09/venezuelans-cautious-entering-cedros-icacos
However, T&T Guardian understands that some Venezuelan nationals take the chance to “bribe” T&T fishermen by handing over drugs, guns and ammunition in exchange to be brought into T&T through illegal ports of entry.
Some fishermen even take the Venezuelan women as wives and have them living with them here in T&T.
It is said that since the heightened coastal patrols along the coastline by the Coast Guard, this kind of trade/ human trafficking is becoming more and more difficult.
“There are one or two that still slip in. Just this morning (Friday) I saw two Venezuelans coming aboard a fisherman’s pirogue,” another Icacos villager said.
Since the crippling of the Venezuelan economy, especially in recent times, even food and water have become scarce necessities.
Scores of Venezuelans, both men and women, sacrifice 60,000 Venezuela bolivars, which is equivalent to just under US$100, to travel to T&T via a passenger ferry from Venezuela. An average of 350 Venezuelan nationals, according to unnamed Immigration sources, arrive on a monthly basis at the port in Cedros.
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8 Jamaicans among 14 held in police exercise
http://www.looptt.com/content/8-jamaicans-among-14-held-police-exercise
Eight Jamaican nationals were among 14 persons held yesterday during a police exercise in Sangre Grande.
The exercise was spearheaded by Snr Sup Forde, with assistance from Inspector Lutchman, Sgt Fuentes, Sgt Williams, Cpl Castillo, Cpl, Khan, as well as other officers from the Sangre Grande CID and the Eastern Division Task Force.
According to reports, officers went to an apartment building at Brooklyn Settlement at about 4 am where they detained the Jamaicans — five women and three men.
Some of them have been in this country since 2012. One of them arrived approximately one month ago.
Some told police they were on vacation while others said they were gainfully employed.
Immigration authorities were called in to ascertain if the eight Jamaicans are in this country illegally.
Officers then proceeded to Upper Cunapo Road where a 19-year-old man was arrested after he was found to be in possession 56 grammes of marijuana.
The exercise then took officers to Barker Trace, Coalmine, where they stopped a silver AD Wagon with a man and a woman, ages 30 and 33. A check of the vehicle revealed 315 grammes of marijuana concealed between the two front passenger seats. The two were arrested for possession of marijuana.
The police team went to Toco Road, Sangre Grande, and arrested a 20-year-old man on an outstanding warrant. A search was also executed at the Mc Shine Street home of a 37-year-old-man who is a person of interest in the Sangre Grande area. Two gadgets used for smoking cocaine were seized.
The officers then made their way to Foster Road, Sangre Grande, where a 21-year-old man was held with 13 grammes of marijuana.
The anti-crime exercise forms part of the initiative to rid the Eastern Division of illegal arms, ammunition, drugs and illicit activities.
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Please house them in the Hyatt prior to deportation.
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do they target them Latinos that living in tnt the same
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Threat of larger numbers of Venezuelans storming to Cedros, Trinidad in the disguise of visiting but really to live here as an escape from the turmoil in their country could be a likely scenario.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Trinbagolife/permalink/2004312303126785/
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TTMA: Jamaicans making up excuses for boycott
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/business-watch/ttma-jamaicans-making-excuses-boycott
Now Jamaica's Government dissatisfied with T&T's oil prices (and Yes! this is related to the two previous posts!)
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/now-jamaicas-government-dissatisfied-tts-oil-prices
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T&T products removed from grocery shelves in Jamaica
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/news/tt-products-removed-grocery-shelves-jamaica
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Check this one out yes. This one related to the links I quoted above. Rasta want war..
https://www.facebook.com/MyVTv/posts/1186414481376886
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RISE OF REFUGEES
Asylum applications double as foreigners turn to T&T
By Anna Ramdass (Express).
As turmoil continues to plague countries globally, including neighbouring Venezuela, more people are turning to Trinidad and Tobago as a haven from pain and persecution as evident in a drastic increase in the numbers of those seeking refuge.
This is according to data provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Human trafficking is also an issue, with cases of trafficked women being referred to the Counter Trafficking Unit of this country's National Security Ministry.
Ruben Barbado, protection officer with the UNHCR, and Nikita Mohammed, assistant co-ordinator at the Living Water Community, sat down with the Sunday Express at the United Nations Port of Spain office last Friday and shared statistics.
They expressed hope the Government would move forward to enact legislation to help with the refugee crisis gripping the world.
Barbado said there has been a “substantive” increase in people seeking asylum in Trinidad.
In 2016, there was a total of 163 asylum applications.
In 2017, in just the first three months, the figures have more than doubled, with some 336 asylum applications being made, with 60 per cent of this figure being men.
Barbado said Cubans remain the largest numbers of asylum seekers, but there have also been increases from Venezuela and from over 19 nationalities such as Syria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, etc.
There are currently 640 refugees, asylum seekers and other persons of concern in Trinidad and Tobago.
Barbado said Trinidad and Tobago is one of the largest refugee-receiving countries in the Caribbean, but third in the region next to Belize and the Dominican Republic.
These two countries have legislation in place to deal with refugees.
In response to the growing number of asylum seekers in T&T, the Government adopted a refugee policy in 2016 and UNHCR established an office in January 2016.
Asylum applications in Trinidad and Tobago over a five-year period are as follows:
2013..........................................8
2014........................................40
2015........................................83
2016......................................163
As of May 2017—336, with 60 per cent being men.
Refugees are people outside their country of origin because of feared persecution, conflict, violence or other circumstances that have seriously disturbed public order and who as a result require “international protection”.
Barbado pointed out that globally, millions of people are fleeing their homes, with the UNHCR figures at the end of 2016 showing 65.6 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide and, of this, some 22.5 million are refugees.
He noted ten million are stateless and, of this lot, only a mere 189,300 refugees have been resettled.
Refugee policy
The UNHCR has been collaborating with the Living Water Community since 1989 and the non-governmental organisation (NGO) identifies and refers persons of concern to the UNHCR.
The UNHCR also works closely with the Immigration Division of the National Security Ministry.
Barbado said Trinidad and Tobago does not have legislation to legally help refugees, but he said a refugee policy adopted in 2014 by the Cabinet envisions the Government providing recognised refugees a permit of stay, work authorisation and access to public assistance.
Trinidad and Tobago is signatory to a United Nations 1951 Convention which speaks to affording protection to refugees. The next step is to make this draft policy legislation. Barbado said other Caricom countries are looking to what Trinidad and Tobago is doing in order to replicate it and put it into practice.
He said measures are being taken to create structures to assist the Government in treating with refugees and to make way for the legislation when it reaches that point.
Mohammed said some advancement has already been made with the establishment of a refugee unit under the National Security Ministry, and UNHCR has been doing training of officials at the Immigration Division.
Barbado said asylum seekers would make their way through this region to seek refuge before resettling in places such as the United States and Canada, but political changes have made less places available for resettlement.
He said there are five people at the Aripo Detention Centre who hold asylum certificates from the UNHCR.
Asked if they should be detained, Barbado noted there is no legislation, but the certificates issued by UNHCR are recognised and honoured by the Government.
Since there is no legislation ,they are still subject to the Immigration Act—the only way for them to remain in the country would be through an order of supervision.
Barbado said the UNHCR's position is to avoid people being detained as much as possible.
However, he said there would be cases where people are detained as the authorities seek to validate their country of origin and other information.
He said there is also a process to determine whether the person is a refugee or not and once it is determined they are, they are released.
Detention centre
Detainees at the detention centre have complained about the squalid conditions at the centre, with one case of a Chinese national attempting suicide.
There is also a case of a detainee who has been imprisoned at the detention centre for five years.
Barbado said the UNHCR is not mandated to ensure this country's detention centre is up to standards, but concerns are expressed to the Government.
There were approximately 200 detainees at the detention centre in June, and about 75 at present. Many of these people have overstayed their time and have not sought any asylum certificates.
Mohammed said Living Water has been working with Government on the order of supervision, which is an alternative to detention.
This means a person who receives such order can stay in the country, but will be required to check in with Immigration on a monthly or quarterly basis.
Questioned on reports of human trafficking, Mohammed said: “Absolutely, yes, there have been some women who have come to us that may have been trafficked. There is a Counter Trafficking Unit in the country that we liaise with for these cases and they manage all cases of trafficking in the country. If there are any special, vulnerable cases we have identified, they lend as much assistance as possible.”
Barbado said there have also been cases where people have been exploited for labour.
They said the Counter Trafficking Unit has been responsive and there are cases of people charged with human trafficking going before the courts.
Mohammed said she has seen cases where people have received restraining orders as well from the police.
Living Water work
Mohammed stressed Living Water services are provided free of cost.
She said Living Water does not provide housing, but it does provide assistance for paying rent, assistance with food through its food bank and assistance with medical issues through a doctor who lends his service pro bono.
The NGO utilises funding received from UNHCR and also uses donations from the public.
She said there is Spanish-speaking staff and, therefore, aggrieved people can visit the NGO's Port of Spain office and seek assistance and also make reports.
Barbado said people who are seeking refuge do not want to leave their homes but they have no choice.
“I feel bad, I don't think that anybody should have to leave his or her home. I have hope that the rest of us human beings, we have a good side to help each other,” he said.
He said it can happen to any country as he recalled that his own homeland of Spain suffered a civil war and dictatorship.
“So in that regard, you never know when you might need to be helped. You go to your own history in Trinidad and Tobago, you had 1990 and some people at the time tried to flee, you never know when that happens to you. It's a matter of human being to human being, you should help. It is a moral imperative,” he said.
“Nobody wants to leave their homes and places of origin and start from scratch in a different place, but people manage, we see they manage to rebuild their lives,” he added.
“It is important to help people rebuild their life because they want to contribute, they don't want to be a burden in any aspect, they want to contribute to the economy and be independent, and I think if we can help them achieve that, that's something that is admirable,” added Mohammed.
(http://www.trinidadexpress.com/storyimage/TT/20170805/LOCAL/170809776/AR/0/AR-170809776.jpg)
call to help: Ruben Barbado, protection officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and Nikita Mohammed, assistant co-ordinator at Living Water, at the United Nations Port of Spain office on Friday.
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Taking food out locals mouth.
By COREY CONNELLY (NEWSDAY).
President of the Public Services Association (PSA) Watson Duke’s recent uproar over a Swissport International Limited newspaper advertisement seeking non-nationals for employment with the company at the Piarco and Arthur NR International Airports has raised fresh concerns about the hiring of foreigners over citizens in the local job market.
And, with the thrust toward diversification, it also has placed renewed focus on the jobs that would enable this country to emerge from the current economic crunch and along a path to sustained growth.
Specifically, the advertisement sought foreign nationals who could speak English and work legally in Trinidad to fill positions such as passenger service agents, airport baggage and ramp handling agents, cargo agents and handlers, aviation security agents, wheelchair assistance, gas and diesel mechanics, supervisors and managers.
Duke, who also accused the company of violating the country’s labour laws, argued that these positions could easily have been filled by locals.
“Why are they allowed to box food out of one’s mouth and say it is for foreign nationals only?” he asked. “Why is it that this company is recruiting foreign nationals when there are people here who can do the same work?” Swissport Trinidad and Tobago has issued a statement, saying the company has been compliant with the country’s labour laws and regulations.
However, the company did not address specific concerns about its desire for foreign nationals to fill positions at the two airports.
The company said it was “a responsible employer” which prided itself on “its longstanding reputation as a competent and efficient provider in the service of the aeronautical industry of Trinidad and Tobago.” But president of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FITUN) Joseph Remy said he supported Duke’s concerns.
He described the ad as “insensitive,” saying it was published at a time when the PSA started to raise “particular issues” relating to the terms and conditions under which locals are working and the threat of job security.
“And in the face of that, you see this ad inviting foreign persons to apply for jobs in Trinidad and Tobago when there are competent local persons available to do the same jobs.” Remy said the labour movement was not against foreigners working in TT “but there has to be a policy position relative to how that is done and that policy cannot be one that will infringe on one’s constitutional rights for access to what the local economy provides.” “And, as such, we believe it was insensitive of that company to place that ad at a time when the PSA was raising some industrial relations issues because it says to us directly that the ad is in response to the concerns raised by the PSA and it is their response to the threat to withhold their labour for improved terms and conditions of employment,” he added.
Saying FITUN totally condemned the ad, Remy said the Ministries of Labour and National Security must carefully scrutinise the process for work permits in cases where foreigners have applied.
“They must note the impact it is going to have on the local labour market and the impact on the wider economy.” Remy said the jobs for which Swissport International was seeking foreigners could be accessed locally.
“There is a supply of labour for those jobs and as such, we should tap into that supply source instead of going foreign. And we believe that this is a real indictment against a sovereign nation,” he said.
“It says to us that they have no care for government policy and they feel they could come here and do what they want. And they believe that because the country is in an economically challenging time and we are looking for direct foreign investment, that they could do what they want and get away with it.” Urging the Government to stand firm on the issue, Remy said the fact that the company has placed an ad for jobs on the local market suggests, too, that educational institutions are not churning out what the local demand requires.
“That means we have a supply side situation and that is something that has to be corrected. We can’t be giving so many people tertiary education and we still have a shortage of skills sets throughout the country. Something is wrong.” According to Remy, T&T ’s labour market is in a very precarious state “because no one can put their finger on the real status of where we are in terms of what are our absolute needs and what is our supply situation.” He added: “So, we don’t know what are the key skills sets and jobs that are required to carry the economy forward and we don’t know what is the supply side of it, whether we are churning out from our secondary schools, trade schools and tertiary institutions, the requisite skills sets to match the demand of the labour market.” Remy claimed such information has not been readily available from the Ministries of Labour and Planning and Development.
Claiming that unemployment rates were increasing rapidly, the veteran trade union leader wondered what would become of graduates of secondary and tertiary institutions given the ongoing retrenchment in several sectors.
“But then you are seeing vacancies being advertised for foreigners to come in the country. That to us says that something is fundamentally wrong.
Our planning is really atrocious.” President of the Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union Vincent Cabrera claimed on Thursday that an estimated 4,000 workers have been put on the breadline since September 2016, far surpassing the period 1985 to 1993 in which close to 7,000 people were retrenched.
He feared that the rising unemployment could lead to increased criminal activity.
Remy said there was no apparent nexus between the Ministries of Labour and Planning and Development in terms of conducting a manpower analysis.
“We are in an absolute mess and nobody is taking a handle of the situation.” Remy said the National Tripartite Advisory Council, from which union leaders have temporarily suspended their involvement over the Tourism Development Company issue, would have been the think-tank to address critical labour and economic issues.
“We would have been able to provide the government with certain outputs that would have allowed them to do certain things differently. But the politicians continue to do things wrong and expect to get different results.” Technology jobs of the future But Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis, responding to Remy’s claims, yesterday said her ministry was already carrying out an analysis of the jobs that are required to take T&T out of its economic slump.
She said the research, thus far, has shown that information communication technology, artificial intelligence and other technology-related fields will be the areas of opportunity of the future.
Robinson-Regis said jobs in the areas of human organ engineering, climate change and memory augmentation (the process by which one’s ability to retain information is increased) also will be in demand by the year 2030. “This is in the context of not only what is happening currently nationally, regionally and internationally, but what future trends indicate,” she told Sunday Newsday.
Robinson-Regis said an analysis was being carried out against the backdrop of the Government’s National Development Strategy Plan (2016- 2030) with research undertaken by the Central Statistical Office as well as through a technical cooperation agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank to conduct a Manpower Strategy for Trinidad and Tobago, part of which has already been initiated through the Global Services Promotion Programme of her ministry. Robinson- Regis said the Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise was a key partner in this exercise.
She said Government was also involved in the development of a manpower strategy at two levels – sector- specific and aggregate.
The minister said the strategy entailed relevant research and was intended to identify human capital requirements, implement actions to develop required skills and, ultimately, support the achievement of the country’s economic goals through a clear direction for the human resources of T&T moving into the future.
Robinson-Regis said another IDB project, specifically targeting the youth, also was among the ministry’s plans to support the labour sector.
“The IDB has approved a regional technical cooperation (plan) called ‘Support for Productivity and Youth Employment Initiatives in the Caribbean’ with the aim of addressing low productivity and youth unemployment,” she said.
“It is also intended to improve skills building, the labour market and will identify potential public private partnerships for youth employment.” Robinson-Regis said T&T, Jamaica, Barbados and the Bahamas have been invited to participate in the IDB-executed initiative.
She said the IDB and Ministries of Labour and Planning will be partners in this collaboration once full approval has been obtained.
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UN commission questions T&T, Venezuela agreement.
By JENSEN LA VENDE (Newsday)
82 deported
The repatriation of 82 Venezuelans has come under scrutiny as the Ministry of National Security claims the group volunteered to return to their homeland while relatives are claiming they were forced to sign documents they did not fully understand.
According to a media release from the ministry, the 82 – 53 men and 29 women – were processed on Friday after visiting the Venezuelan Embassy in Port of Spain.
Sunday Newsday visited the embassy on Friday and saw some of the men being taken in to be processed. The presence of the Venezuelans at the embassy raised another issue, this time with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) which claimed that 13 of the 82 Venezuelans were asylum-seekers and 19 others were in the process of becoming asylum-seekers.
According to the UNHCR, this breaches the Article 31 of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951 Convention), which instructs signatories “not to impose penalties, on account of their illegal entry or presence” to people who are in need of international protection. UNHCR, in a statement, added that the mere presence of the Venezuelans at the embassy was a further breach as their request was no longer held in confidence.
“Additionally confidentiality is a well-established principle of refugee protection, requiring that information on persons in need of international protection should not be shared with their country of origin. The principles of non-penalisation, non-refoulement, and confidentiality are incorporated into the National Policy to Address Refugee and Asylum Matters in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, adopted by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in 2014. This morning (yesterday), we sent a letter to the Chief Immigration Officer expressing our concern, requesting the release of the persons already registered with us and access to the rest to assess their needs of international protection,” UNHCR stated.
The ministry, in its release, said Venezuelan Ambassador Coromoto Godoy was at Piarco International Airport overseeing the deportation of the 82 Venezuelans. Godoy was also quoted as having spoken with Government and offered to have the detainees flown back home at an expense borne by the Venezuelan government. The 82 were being housed at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) having been sent there for various offences including illegal entry and post conviction for other criminal offences.
Sources told Sunday Newsday that some Venezuelans were arrested after they had applied for asylum and alleged their documentation was destroyed by officials before they were taken to the IDC.
UNHCR, in their statement, said, “The Government is saying people are returning voluntarily, but agreed procedures with UNHCR on the voluntary return of registered asylum-seekers are not being followed. For this to happen and relatives and friends of the concerned individuals are reporting that the persons are being forced to sign papers that they do not understand where they are saying they are returning voluntarily.”
The commission added that it is the responsibility of states not to expel or return a refugee to countries where his life or freedom would be threatened because of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.
The Venezuelan aircraft arrived in TT around 10 am and left around 6 pm. The arrangement to send them back came following weeks of meetings between Government and the Venezuelan Embassy.
Sunday Newsday was initially informed that the deportation of the 82 Venezuelans was done in exchange for three fishermen arrested by Guardia Nacional two weeks ago. Government sources vehemently denied that allegation.
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Mass deportations upset UN co-ordinator
We must protect asylum-seekers.
By Rhondor Dowlat (Guardian).
The United Nations (UN) has raised deep concerns over Saturday’s deportation of 82 Venezuelan nationals from T&T, among them asylum seekers, saying they could not verify whether it was a “voluntary repatriation” process as claimed by the Ministry of National Security.
It is also of the belief, like many locals and Venezuelan nationals here in T&T, that the T&T Government has failed the deportees and disrespected their human rights people seeking asylum and refugee status from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s regime.
In a release yesterday, United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator Richard Blewitt said the body was concerned for the welfare of these people.
“We are in contact with the appropriate authorities in Port-of-Spain to ensure that any person in need of protection will get it without fail,” Blewitt said.
On Saturday, a Venezuelan military aircraft took 82 Venezuelan nationals – 53 men and 29 women - back home from the Piarco International Airport. Just under 40 of those 82 Venezuelans were said to have applied for asylum and refugee status in T&T, but sources said the certificates they had in their possession were allegedly disregarded by T&T Immigration officers.
In a release on Saturday, the Ministry of National Security said the Venezuelan nationals, who were being kept at the Immigration Detention Centre, were voluntarily repatriated with the assistance of the Ambassador of Venezuela to T&T, Coromoto Godoy.
Yesterday, however, Blewitt said this statement “could not be verified independently by UN observers.” He said the UN and its local partners have encouraged the prompt adoption of national legislation on refugee issues, and work together to support the T&T Government in its efforts to develop an efficient and secure asylum system.
Also addressing the issue yesterday, Ministry for Migrants and Refugees Coordinator at the Living Water Community (LWC), Rochelle Nakhid, said for almost 30 years the LWC has joyfully served asylum-seekers and refugees who have come to T&T seeking asylum from persecution.
Saying they had acted in partnership with the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR) and the T&T Government, Nakhid said, “This relationship comprises defined procedures that create a legitimate expectation of adherence to same. It is necessary to remember that seeking asylum is a humanitarian and a non-political act and one which should not be considered as unfriendly between states.”
She emphasised that non-refoulement remains a core principle of protection enshrined in refugee law and is also part of customary international law.
“It means that persons are not to be returned to where their life would be in danger. In the absence of legislation in T&T which affords other rights such as the right to work, to have identity documents and guaranteed access to social services, this protection from return appears to be at risk if parties do not acknowledge that the majority of Venezuelans are in need of protection as advocated by the UNHCR and as we witness on a daily basis,” Nakhid said.
She said the food and medicine shortages and increasing criminal activity and general instability in Venezuela have forced large numbers of them to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, including T&T.
“Many Venezuelans face a lack of documentation, sexual and gender-based violence and various forms of exploitation, including by criminal gangs. Women are at high risk of trafficking and this phenomenon is quickly worsening as criminals prey on their lack of legal status,” Nakhid said.
“True to our Catholic identity, we have heeded the call to love the stranger as ourselves and to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants and refugees.”
Attempts to reach National Security Minister Edmund Dillon on the issue yesterday were unsuccessful as he did not answer calls to his cellphone.
MORE INFO
In March 2018, the UN Refugee Agency published a Guidance note for states on how to treat with the outflow of Venezuelans in light of rapidly deteriorating political and socio-economic conditions.
This note advises that states apply a protection-oriented response in dealing with Venezuelans in a way that reflects an understanding of protection as a humanitarian and non-political act, and as an act of solidarity with the people of Venezuela. It asks that states find ways to facilitate access to their territory, award official documentation, grant access to basic rights and very importantly, apply a non-return principle to Venezuela, given that the majority of cases would in fact be considered as refugees under the 1984 Cartagena Declaration
(http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/field/image/military%20plane_0.jpg)
A military aircraft at Piarco International Airport waiting to take Venezuelan immigrants back to their homeland . PICTURE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY
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Venezuelan deportations angers Amnesty Int’l
This cannot be repeated.
By Rhondor Dowlat (Guardian).
Amnesty International’s Americas director Erika Guevara Rosas has written to the Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley criticising the way in which 82 Venezuelan nationals were repatriated to their home country on Saturday.
Rosas’ letter came one day after a non-governmental organisation in Venezuela said it was going to lodge an official report on behalf of the 82 Venezuelans who were repatriated and as international outcry over the act intensified.
In the letter, Rosas requested information about the procedures followed by the T&T Government in carrying out the deportation. She indicated that they have received information suggesting those returned did not do so voluntarily, contrary to National Security Minister Edmund Dillon’s claims. In fact, she said they received information the deportees were presented with papers to sign “in a language they do not understand, stating that they would return voluntarily.”
“As part of the Convention relating to the Status of the Refugees (1951 Refugee Convention) and its Protocol (1967), Trinidad and Tobago is obliged to fully protect the rights of those in need of international protection,” Rosas said in her letter.
“To do otherwise implies a breach of international law and it is regrettable that your Government has chosen to ignore its obligations in a way incompatible with international human rights standards.”
Among other things, she said the deportees were “forcibly returned without an individualised assessment or having the opportunity to challenge or appeal their deportation orders, without having their legal options explained to them in a language they understand and without access to their lawyers or UNHCR, the actions of your Government have undermined due process, your Government’s own policy on asylum, and your country’s international human rights obligations. This cannot be repeated.”
Rosas explained that mass deportations are prohibited under international law, as is the violation of the principles of non-refoulement, confidentiality, non-penalisation and the right to due process and judicial protection.
She disclosed that based on the information Amnesty International received, it appeared the T&T Government chose to ignore each one of these key protection principles.
“Questions remain as to why a government that should protect refugees and asylum seekers as part of its international obligations offered confidential information to the Venezuelan authorities, and deported asylum seekers with open refugee claims back to their country where they may face torture or other grave human rights violations,” Rosas told Rowley.
“Trinidad and Tobago must guarantee the rights of the growing number of asylum seekers and refugees from Venezuela in need of international protection, whose hope for survival are increasingly in countries such as yours. To fail to do so is to ignore your country’s commitment and international obligations to protecting human rights.”
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Volker Türk yesterday also expressed deep regret over the deportations. He described sending back those who applied for refugee status as a “breach of international refugee law.” He also said some of them were deported from T&T despite the UNHCR’s request for access to them concerned and written interventions.
“The forced return of this group is of great concern,” Türk said.
“UNHCR calls on Trinidad and Tobago to continue to abide by its international obligations as signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention and other applicable international instruments that are incorporated into its official Refugee Policy, in particular the principle of non-return, known as non-refoulement, and Article 31 of the Convention which requests signatories “not to impose penalties, on account of their illegal entry or presence” to people who are in need of international protection.”
UN Resident Co-ordinator Richard Blewitt meanwhile called on Government to speed up work on the asylum/refugee policy he said has been at the Attorney General’s (AG) office for the past 12 months.
“The Government has worked on the policy quite diligently and in the last 12 months. It is now at the AG’s office and the final draft is almost ready to go to Parliament and I will urge the Government to take this moment to put this legislation in place. The Opposition must support it,” Blewitt said.
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Unfounded repatriation claims taint T&T’s image
Rowley bouffs UN
By Shaliza Hassanali (Guardian).
An angry Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday said he intends to write the United Nations (UN) to complain about this country’s local UN representative’s comments about the recent repatriation of 82 Venezuelans.
The repatriation process, which saw a Venezuelan military aircraft landing at the Piarco International Airport to take the nationals back to their homeland, drew criticism from UN Resident Coordinator Richard Blewitt. T&T also faced an outcry and heavy criticism for the repatriation.
But at yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing art the Diplomatic Centre, Rowley said he was very satisfied how Government handled the repatriation. He said T&T was governed by laws, while we are a generous and caring people “and we demonstrated that over and over again” by opening our doors to Venezuela.
Addressing Blewitt’s comments directly, Rowley said he would not allow anyone to paint a different story of our country.
“We will not allow, without protest, public servants from any international agency to misrepresent our circumstances to the world and stay in Trinidad and Tobago. Against that background, I as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago will, under my hand, write a complaint to the United Nations at its headquarters about the conduct of persons who take it upon themselves to speak about Trinidad and Tobago.”
The PM said he intended to defend T&T’s reputation, hence the reason why he would stand his ground on the issue. As a member of the UN, Rowley said T&T has been very careful and responsible in carrying out its affairs. But he said the image painted was that T&T behaved in a unbecoming manner, which was the furthest from the truth.
“If officers of the United Nations are to talk about Trinidad and Tobago, especially those who are in Trinidad and Tobago and know our circumstances, then the least we can expect from them is to stay with the facts.”
He also said he would not allow UN representatives to make T&T into a refugee camp, noting T&T’s relationship with Venezuela was based on mutual friendship. Rowley said he had not spoken to Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro on the heated issue.
As Venezuela faces an economic crisis, Rowley said there are arrangements in place to allow their nationals to come here to obtain food and medical supplies, following which they would leave. However, he said as the crisis worsened there, there was now a proliferation of Venezuelans entering our shores illegally.
He said many Venezuelans had come through the back door and continued to stay illegally. Rowley said people who knew of illegal Venezuelans exploited them for cheap labour, prostitution and all manner of evil. He said there were also those who came with guns and ammunition.
At one point, Rowley said T&T had been accused of being “too caring” by allowing Venezuelans into our shores.
“Let me draw to the attention of those who have a lot to say, the people who were in those detention centres were not put there because they were Venezuelans. They were put there because they ran afoul of the laws of T&T. And it hurts me when people in this country appoint themselves spokespersons for our country that have nothing good to say about this place and seek to put us in the worst possible light where our interest is not defended.”
Promising to guard the country zealously, Rowley said they have been handling the situation carefully because if Government didn’t “it could create serious problems for us. There are people who want us to join them in invading Venezuela, we are not doing that.”
He added that economic migrants do not “easily qualify” for refugee status.
As for Amnesty International’s Erika Guevara Rosas, who also criticised the way in which the Venezuela nationals were repatriated, Rowley said that was better left unsaid.
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A lot of emphasis on image in the PM's comments, but not much on process. Where's the beef?
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(https://www.lapatilla.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Venezolanos-deportados-de-Trinidad-y-tobago.jpg)
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Hence the image issue ...
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What you mean by image and process.
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What you mean by image and process.
Well for one, do we really need a camera in the situation above?
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Maybe I missed something but if you are living illegally in somebody's country you stand the risk of being deported right? I eh understand what the hue and cry was all about (I say was cuz 9 days done past and de story off the headlines, I ah bit late on de draw.....)
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Trinidad and Tobago: Authorities have no justification for failure to respect international obligations over asylum
Amnesty International
The Trinidad and Tobago authorities must stop criminalizing the peaceful protest of migrants and refugees and find human rights-based solutions for them consistent with its existing obligations under international law, Amnesty International said today.
In response to official statements from Trinidad and Tobago’s Attorney General, Faris Al-Rawi, suggesting that the country was not yet legally required to establish systems for addressing the growing number of migrants and refugees reaching the Caribbean island, as it has not ratified the UN Refugee Convention, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International, said:
“The Attorney General is mistaken in his understanding of Trinidad and Tobago’s obligations under international law. Having acceded to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, the country is bound by international law to uphold the terms of these treaties. This means it must respect the fundamental human right to seek asylum and never return people to countries where their lives or freedom are at risk.”
The Attorney General made the statements after Trinidad and Tobago’s authorities reportedly arrested 78 Cuban asylum applicants and refugees, who had been peacefully protesting their human rights situation in the country outside the UN House in Port of Spain, reigniting debates on the growing number of migrants and refugees in the country.
According to news reports, the Cubans detained on 16 November were charged with obstruction of the free passageway under the Summary Offences Act and sentenced to two days in prison. When asked if Trinidad and Tobago was in discussions with the Cuban authorities to deport the Cubans, the Attorney General said the Minister of National Security was the lead on that issue.
Trinidad and Tobago is party to the the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, which the country acceded to in November 2000. As such, it is obliged to fully protect the rights of those in need of international protection. Although Trinidad and Tobago has not yet adopted national legislation to guide its treatment of people in need of international protection, it is a rule of customary international law that a state may not invoke the provisions of its internal law, or lack thereof, to justify its failure to uphold the terms of a treaty.
In 2014, Trinidad and Tobago’s cabinet adopted a national policy to address asylum and refugee matters. The policy states that recognized refugees should be entitled to a series of rights including travel documents, identity papers, authorization to work, and right to education. In practice, those who apply for asylum or are granted refugee status are not allowed to work, leaving many destitute, and they are not permitted to send their children to school. The Cubans arrested had been protesting this situation.
“By criminalizing migrants and refugees who were protesting the country’s very failure to uphold human rights, the authorities in Trinidad and Tobago are taking a short-sighted approach to the growing numbers of people reaching their shores in need of international protection,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas.
Rather than locking up people who only want to rebuild their lives in safety, the authorities should build on the nation’s existing policy on asylum and refugees and put in place legislation to help it fulfill its existing obligations under international law.”
International law establishes that states must not return people to countries where their life or freedom would be threatened, or where they could be subject to torture or other human rights violations. Nevertheless, in April, Trinidad and Tobago deported over 80 Venezuelans, potentially in violation of international law.
Almost all states in Latin America have national legislation on refugees.
Background
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had registered 2,286 people of concern in Trinidad and Tobago at the end of 2017. The majority were Venezuelans, with Cubans representing the second largest group of asylum applicants.
Amnesty International has documented severe restrictions on the right to freedom of expression in Cuba for decades, while tens of thousands of Cubans have left their homeland in recent years. Amnesty International’s report, Your Mind is in Prison (https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr25/7299/2017/en/), published in 2017 and based on interviews with over 60 Cuban migrants, documents Cuba’s ongoing mechanisms of control over freedom of expression in the country and the risks faced by Cubans who dare to speak out.
In March, Amnesty International released Emergency Exit (https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/03/venezuela-unattended-health-rights-crisis-is-forcing-thousands-to-flee/), which documented how violations of the right to health, as well as difficulties accessing food and other basic services, are putting thousands of people’s lives at risk in Venezuela and fuelling a regional forced migration crisis.
In September, Amnesty International published an open letter (https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/AMR0190192018ENGLISH.PDF) to regional governments calling on them and the international community to agree on urgent measures to guarantee the rights of Venezuelans needing international protection. It also issued a report detailing the failure of the Curaçao government to establish effective procedures for people seeking asylum in light of the growing number of Venezuelan nationals in need of international protection.
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Venezuelan influx strangling T&T.
By RADHICA DE SILVA (Guardian).
Leaving their loved ones behind in a country torn by violence, starvation and political persecution, hundreds of Venezuelans continue to risk their lives to come to Trinidad in search of a better life.
While the wealthiest of Venezuelans can afford to come here legally often through the port of Cedros, hundreds more Venezuelans board pirogues and ferries and sneak into the island through the hidden inlets and bays along the coasts. They sell their homes, furniture, jewelry, and even their hair to save enough US dollars to make the trip.
Since 2014, more than 1.8 million people have fled Venezuela because of horrific living conditions. Many get a three-month tourist visit but end up staying here for months.
Cedros Councillor Shankar Teelucksingh said with the closure of the Cedros port for eight days last week, more than 800 Venezuelans are on standby to come to the island legally in the first week of February, with about 300 carded to go back home.
"Many are fleeing from political persecution and have no intention of going back. They pay ferry operators US$200 to make the trip," Teelucksingh said. Those who come illegally pay up to US$500 to cross the 20-kilometre stretch between Trinidad and Venezuela.
Illegal points of entry
During an interview, a senior officer from the Immigration department said many Venezuelans are continuing to enter the island through several illegal points along the Columbus Channel where the Orinoco River flows such as Icacos, Galfar, Erin, Chatham, Mon Diablo, Buenos Ayres, and Quinam.
In Quinam
"In days gone by Quinam was once one of the most popular beaches in south Trinidad. However, with coastal erosion and a recent rock revetment project done by the Ministry of Works to arrest erosion, the Quinam Bay is hardly frequented on weekdays so people use that area for illegal activity," a source from the area said.
A man who works near the newly opened beach facility confirmed that every Tuesday in broad daylight a boatload of Venezuelans arrive.
"You can see them looking scared and starved. They run out of the boat as soon as they reach. There are always people waiting for them. I just turn a blind eye because these days people who see too much end up dead," he said.
The forests around Penal is a wildlife sanctuary but with the absence of game wardens, patrols are not frequent. There is no cellular signal there, so arrangements are conducted openly.
In Erin, Los Iros
Meanwhile, in Erin, villagers said it is not unusual for Venezuelans to arrive at Los Iros and Erin Bay which is nearby to Chatham and Buenos Ayres.
Resident Paul Nehal said the Venezuelans are well connected and some of them may be into crime.
"There are people in the area who earn money from the Venezuelan crisis. I have a van and they often hire me to pick up the Venezuelans from Erin and drop them in Chaguanas," Nehal said. He said most people are cautious about bringing the Venezuelans into their homes in fear that they could be criminals.
However, some Trinidadians have taken this chance.
South Oropouche
One woman, who did not want to be named, said she rescued two Venezuelan children who she found wandering in a community in Oropouche.
Unwilling to give their names, she said the children were brought in with an aunt who was later deported back to Venezuela.
The children, aged eight and ten, stayed with the woman for several months before she bought a ticket and took them back to Venezuela to be with their parents. The woman said when she went to Venezuela to drop the children it was like a scene from a horror movie.
"I remember walking along a street and there was a place where a man sat with a big gun and there were dirty hungry children there with him. This child not more than three years old stood looking out...there with a cut over her face and blood streaming down. She looked at me. I cried but the tour guide told me don't look. They could kill us. I stayed in my hotel room and I could not go out on my own. It was too dangerous. I feel worried about the children who live there with no food, no medicine, no help," she said.
In Cedros
In Cedros, residents said Venezuelans have been coming through Cedros for decades.
Suraj Chickurie said in times gone by they used to come to Cedros to sell ceramic pottery and jewelry. "Now they no longer sell in Cedros. They go to Point Fortin instead," Chickurie said.
Terry Assong, who has been helping Venezuelans at Bonasse Village, said many of them were good people. He said the Government should find a way to help the Venezuelan nationals who come to Cedros by providing an avenue where they could get medical aid, housing, and food.
'A blessing and a curse'
Venezuelan Judge Manuel Romero who fled to T&T with his wife, Lorimar Silva and their two children said his friends were starving in Venezuela.
"The crisis was so dire that they are breaking up their furniture and using it as firewood," Romero said.
Trinidad seems to be both a blessing and a curse to many Venezuelans who live here. Romero said since he came to Trinidad in August last year, he has done a variety of jobs including fishing, painting, security guard, labourer, construction worker, and salesman.
He refuses to speak about the exploitation he suffered but instead expressed gratitude to all the good people he met along the way who provided his family with food and shelter.
At an agricultural estate in Debe, Venezuelan labourers could be seen working hard to cultivate a hot pepper estate. Unlike many Trinidadians, they work in the scorching midday sun. Most of them could not speak English and despite their working conditions, they smiled when approached by this reporter.
A Venezuelan who works at a store in Duncan Village said she has managed to build a life in Trinidad but it was always difficult.
"People think I am a prostitute. Long ago when I first visited here, people used to treat me with respect, but now they think I am a prostitute so they no have respect. I am happy to work here. In Trinidad at least I can find food. Right now I am very worried about my people in Venezuela," she said.
Louis Rodrigo, who works in a clothing store at Gulf City said it was painful being in a place where he was not wanted.
"People have told me to (expletive) get out of here. All we are doing is trying to live. I cannot wait to go back to Venezuela one day," Rodrigo said.
Several Trinidadians said they were concerned that the Venezuelans were taking away their jobs and strangling T&T.
Marilyn Neptune said, "They are invading our country, many are coming illegally and are contributing to crime. They are making things hard for us."
Marissa Peters of Fyzabad said since the Venezuelan crisis, prostitution has also increased.
Exploitation of the Venezuelan people occurs in all sector. In the construction sector, skilled Venezuelans are paid $300 a day, $100 less than a Trinidadian construction worker. The unskilled labourers get $200 a day while the Trinidadians work for $300 a day.
Bring migrant laws—UWI professor
Faced with this exploitation, Dean of Faculty of Law at the University of West Indies, Professor Rosemarie Bell-Antoine said proper migrant laws were needed in T&T. She said nobody knows how many Venezuelans are currently in T&T as attorneys were finding it challenging to get statistics from the detention centre and children's homes where the refugees are kept.
Saying the statistics may be alarming, Bell-Antoine said she was disappointed that adequate laws were not put in place as yet.
"Three years ago, we warned that it was going to get worse in terms of the amount of Venezuelans coming in and nobody was taking us seriously. Now there is some recognition that something needs to be done," Bell-Antoine said.
Saying there was now a move to provide national cards to identify the Venezuelans, Bell-Antoine said, "That is a good first step. The laws must be implemented in a structured and humanitarian way and not in an ad-hoc manner."
She noted that the refugee crisis was happening throughout the world.
"That is why we have these international conventions to help us. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. People are saying too many Venezuelans are coming in, but it is a temporary situation. We have now realised that something positive and structured needs to be done and we can get it going," she added.
Bell-Antoine, who has been lobbying for the introduction of legislation in line with established human rights conventions, said over the past three years, attorneys and immigration personnel have been trained on refugee rights.
"We need to extend a hand of friendship in Venezuela," she said.
Minister of National Security Stuart Young said last week that border patrols will be tightened as the Venezuelan crisis intensifies. Police Commissioner Gary Griffith said the Air Guard will be monitoring the coasts.
Venezuela has been experiencing a steep downward spiral since 2012 as oil prices fell sharply, a year before the late president Hugo Chavez died. His protégé and successor, Nicolas Maduro, 56, has faced criticisms of economic mismanagement, corruption, and political oppression.
On January 23, Juan Guaido, 35, the president of the opposition-dominated National Assembly, announced that he would assume Maduro’s powers temporarily, a move recognised by the US, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Peru, Chile and other countries in Europe.
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$25m to keep immigrants at IDC
By Sean Douglas (Newsday).
JSC on Human Rights reports:
ABOUT $23 million a year is spent to house illegal immigrants and another $2 million each year to deport some of them, yet many detainees languish at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) because the language barrier slows down the processing of their cases.
This was revealed in a recent report by Parliament’s Joint Select Committee (JSC) on Human Rights.
The IDC was run at a cost of $12 million in 2014, $16 million for each year of 2015-2018, and $23 million in 2019 (recurrent expenditure). A further $6 million was spent on development work at the IDC over the past three years.
Further, $9 million was spent in repatriation costs from 2012-2016.
This was $2 million in 2012/2013, $2 million for 2013/2014, $4 million for 2014/2015 and $790,000 for 2015/2016. The $4 million bill for 2014/2015 included $2.48 million to charter an aircraft to Nigeria.
Without specifying any year, the report added, “The last two airline charters each cost an estimated $3 million and $5 million respectively.”
Of the 716 immigrants deported from the IDC in 2016, 162 were Jamaicans, 127 Guyanese, 101 Venezuelans, 95 Chinese, 78 were from the Dominican Republic and 31 were from Nigeria. The report shows the cost of deporting a Nigerian was $235,904, including his one-way ticket ($36,000) plus return tickets for three escorts at $57,000 each, totalling $172,440.
Despite this big expenditure, the report notes detainees complaining of difficulties posed by the language barrier, which impeded the hearing of their cases, whether applying for refugee status or fighting deportation.
Amid a huge influx of Venezuelan migrants, the IDC has only two staff members with CSEC passes in Spanish, respectively grade 1 and grade 2, amid a detainee population at any time of 120. One employee also speaks Mandarin Chinese.
The report showed a snapshot for March 2018, when out of 126 detainees at the IDC, some 81 were Venezuelan (51 men and 30 women). For all of 2017, some 585 detainees passed through the IDC, of whom 227 were Venezuelans (145 men and 82 women). For 2016, passing through the IDC were 1,146 people, of whom 222 were Venezuelans (125 men and 97 women).
“Approximately 19,000 Venezuelans entered the country legally from 2017 to 2018, and 17 per cent have overstayed their time in the country,” said the report. “Given the increase in detainees from Latin American countries, the IDC should recruit an in-house Spanish interpreter to facilitate communication between detainees and officials."
It also recommended, "Given the influx in the number of Venezuelan detainees at the IDC from 2015 to 2018, the Ministry of National Security should review other alternatives to detention.”
The report said detention at the IDC was due to breaches of the Immigration Act such as illegal entry, overstayed visit/working illegally/expired travel documents, drug trafficking or tendering counterfeit currency or fraudulent documents.
“Detention at the IDC is utilised as a last resort, after immigration officers have sought a relative or person who is willing to put up a security bond for detainee custody release under an order of supervision.”
In TT some 1,700 immigrants were on orders of supervision, paying a refundable security bond and being monitored by a team of 19 supervision officers.
Nine IDC detainees are awaiting deportation after imprisonment or paying criminal fines, but there are challenges in deporting them. These include the high cost of airfare, lack of permission to transit certain countries, language barrier and lack of interpreters, cost of escorts and the problems with the identification of detainees and acquisition of travel documents for them.
“The unwillingness of some detainees to sign visa documents or provide accurate personal identification information contributes to delays with the repatriation process.”
As of April 2018, the IDC held 25 people from African countries who lacked travel documents to be repatriated. The Ministry of National Security had sourced funds for this and found a route through Turkey, but this route was no longer feasible.
The report lamented the Immigration Act failed to specify the treatment of people who were refugees or registered as asylum seekers in TT.
The report noted discrepancies in the treatment of detainees between submissions from the Ministry of National Security and NGOs such as the Living Water Community (LWC) and the Emancipation Support Committee (ESCTT).
Living Water said an absence of procedures to submit complaints, as compounded by language barriers, had resulted in the alleged payment of bribes and a fear to submit complaints.
“The ESCTT indicated there was discriminatory treatment of detainees based on race and nationality that impacted the length of detention and punishments.”
The report noted concerns that IDC detainees were separated from their children.
“Female detainees were not allowed to have their children at the IDC and separate children accommodations were made at children homes. Children are allowed to visit the mothers via a special request made by the mother to the IDC officials,” the report said. “According to the ESCTT, family life is severely impacted due to the physical separation of husbands from wives and children. ESCTT recommended measures to permit the introduction of special family visits at reasonable intervals at IDC.”
Detainees are "aired" for two hours a day, a limit questioned by the report.
The report noted two cases of harm to detainees included suicide.
“A female Guyanese in 2013 committed suicide via hanging from the rafters of the ceiling of the washroom of the dormitory in the female housing unit.”
The report said the ESC lamented that a Ghanaian man was beaten in 2014, suffering head injuries, damage to his ear and chest pains. Subsequent lack of medical treatment led to him losing hearing in his left ear, plus an unhealed fracture that caused other medical problems.
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Reduce costs by purchasing round trip tickets accompanied by a refusal of entry document that would effectively invalidate the return leg. :P
It would be cheaper to employ language staff as this would mitigate inefficiency in the system.
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5 Indian fortune-tellers arrested
AZARD ALI (NEWSDAY).
POLICE have arrested five Indians for overstaying their time in the country. Their arrests took place, last Friday, in Fyzabad. A report claimed the five men were soliciting people for palm readings where they were arrested and taken to the Fyzabad Police Station, and then to the Immigration Division, Knox Street, San Fernando.
The report said a detention order was issued to the five men who were then released. They are to report on Friday, Newsday was told, with airline tickets for their guaranteed departure from TT. Police said the men in their 20s are from Bangalore, south India.
Around mid-January, six men and a woman, who are from India, were also detained for soliciting people for palm readings on High Street, San Fernando and in Chaguanas.
Attorney Indira Binda, who represents the five men, is assisting immigration authorities to determine if they committed an offence. Several people have reported they were fleeced of money by Indians who promised to predict their future through black magic.
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They shoulda see dat comin
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They shoulda see dat comin
:D
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Public gives cops crucial info on illegal migrants
By Gail Alexander (Guardian).
Police Commissioner Gary Griffith is moving on several reports of suspected illegal foreigners housed in parts of the country, including South Trinidad—and he’s reinforced that any T&T national assisting such situations will also be charged.
Griffith confirmed this yesterday after information from certain areas, including South, was received.
This after National Security Minister Stuart Young on Saturday announced a crackdown on illegal immigrants entering T&T and, noting the recent spike in localised COVID-19 cases, moves to penalise boatmen, drivers, landlords, businessmen and legal Venezuelans who are facilitating illegal immigrants. The latter puts the public at COVID-19 risk.
Last Wednesday 66 people—disembarking vessels, hiding in bushes and found in guesthouses —were arrested in South and Tobago. Several T&T nationals were also charged in connection with that activity.
After Young spoke about the issue during Saturday’s COVID-19 virtual media briefing, members of the public reached out to authorities. Up to yesterday, police were contacting residents in various areas over suspected “new” foreigners.
Last Saturday, residents of several communities cited problems with illegal migrants and complaints were also made about certain “activities” at premises.
Griffith yesterday said they received reports on suspected foreigners being housed in certain areas, adding some people had very reliable information. He said police would pursue all leads, “and any T&T nationals assisting, supporting or directing such activities will also be charged.” He urged the public to continue submitting information, including via the 482-GARY hotline.
There are also reports that people in Venezuela are advertising services to bring Venezuelans to T&T.
T&T nationals also expressed concern about seeing Venezuelan vessels landing in Chaguaramas to “sell fish” but bringing between seven and 12 people—none of whom were seen wearing masks. In a social media posting, a man noted up to three boats in one morning, querying how they were allowed to operate.
Griffith has also been apprised of information where certain comments on a Spanish social media site had condemned—in extreme terms—T&T police who are holding illegal migrants.
Included was a rant hoping that T&T police “die”. The writer argued that people were coming to T&T to save their families and illegals shouldn’t be deported. Another complained of “no protection.”
Griffith acknowledged some people have always passed negative comments on T&T police, but declared, “We do our work - we press on.”
Also, the operators of a Venezuelan social media site have noted T&T nationals who’ve been commenting against the presence of Venezuelans in T&T, citing the need to protect this country.
The site later carried information—in Spanish—to its administrators that T&T nationals were “among” them on the website, watching their steps. It was advised that suspicious profiles be purged, that T&T groups should be blocked, persons should be verified and photos of participants be taken. Venezuelan participants were warned to ‘’take care of themselves.’’
The amount of “chatter” on Venezuelan social media about T&T has prompted certain local concern on whether some fleeing the Nicolas Maduro administration may pose a threat to T&T’s safety. Only those without criminal records were allowed under T&T’s amnesty. Concerns have also been raised on whether the amnesty cards can be duplicated. Cards carry special security features.
Young didn’t respond to queries on the issue yesterday.
But Opposition MP Roodal Moonilal said with localised cases of COVID-19, there was a genuine concern that some Venezuelans may be carrying the virus.
“We’re now in community spread of COVID. Government has failed with marginal testing when we’d called for wider testing,” he said.
Moonilal blamed Government for the continued influx of Venezuelans.
“We’d advocated a mixture of police, involving police and Coast Guard and international help, but in Parliament Young was arrogant, disdainful and dismissive.”
He said people from many areas have complained about illegal Venezuelans.
“We alert police ... Police are trying their best but you have to prevent entry via sea. The Coast Guard is National Security’s responsibility—they’ve failed.”
NGO concerned over Stuart's comments
The TTV Solnet Coalition for Venezuela says Minister of National Security Stuart Young’s call to denounce landlords and people harbouring illegal immigrants is causing it deep concern at the possible impact against all Venezuelan immigrants, especially those who have the ministry’s T&T permit and United Nations refugee status.
In a statement, the group stated both are categories are legally protected by national and international laws that include freedom of movement and from discriminatory persecution.
The group urged that “clarification or clear distinction on illegal and legal” migrants be made to ensure the safety of all migrants in the T&T under these legal migratory statuses.
“Currently, it’s estimated 24,000 Venezuelans are in T&T that are holders of one or both of these migratory conditions, unfortunately governmental sources don’t count for Venezuelans without a regular status so this number can be higher,” the group said.
“We’d like to commend the Government for taking firm measures to stop and combat illicit activities involving the smuggling and trafficking of Venezuelans into T&T by local criminal gangs and criminal businessmen. We praise the implementation of the 555 hotline as an official reporting channel, to bring to justice all organisations and individuals suspected of trafficking and smuggling of innocent people. This is indeed a step in the right direction, which we hope contributes to reducing the amount of human trafficking in CARICOM.”
The group urged the UN Commission on Refugees and other agencies to guarantee the protection of Venezuelan migrants, especially during the COVID pandemic, and be guarantors for the handling of detentions, quarantines, returns and possible deportations of Venezuelan migrants.
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CMO: Health, National Security partnering on illegal immigrants
BY CLINT CHAN TACK (NEWSDAY).
CHIEF Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram said the Health Ministry is working very closely with the National Security Ministry, after reports that a citizen who is covid19-positive may have interacted with illegal immigrants
At the virtual health news conference on Wednesday, Parasram said, "We will share with them what information we have, bearing in mind that those persons need to be contacted.
"We have to ringfence whoever it is, person or persons that have been in contact there."
Parasram explained, "The plausible argument is that they would have been positive prior. So there is an area of spread and there is a risk of spreading to more persons in the community."
He said through the National Security Ministry and other avenues, "We need to find out where those persons or person may be, find that indivdual, test, treat and then ringfence any other contacts that may occur."
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh apologised to Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith for being unable to take a call from him last weekend on covid19-related matters.
"We had several projects ongoing and I do apologise for not returning the commissioner's call."
Deyalsingh said the police are "included in all our discussions via the CMO's chairmanship of a Cabinet-appointed committee where all agencies responsible for the covid response meet virtually."
He added the police's views "are always considered and the lines of communications between myself and the commissioner via the Ministry of National Security, have always been open."
Deyalsingh also said the Education Ministry has not made any request to his ministry to change the SEA date from August 20 as a result of the new covid19 cases reported.
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Locals have to take some bwah in a substantial amount of these cases. They should get some bwah between they legs.