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Venezuelan migrants

LAST DAY: Venezuelan migrants wait patiently for the Queen’s Park Oval registration centre to be opened on the final day yesterday at Havelock Street, St Clair.

—Photo: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK

CALLS for a migrant policy that effectively assesses and addresses the population of Venezuelan migrants living and working in Trinidad and Tobago have been renewed by local stakeholders, who say they are unsure of how the recently elected United National Congress (UNC) Government will address the issue.

On the future of the Migrant Registration Framework, which was instituted in 2019 by the former administration and which allowed for over 16,000 Venezuelan migrants to be registered to work, the Sunday Express was told advocates had not learned of whether it will be continued by the new Government past its December 31 expiration date.

Last year, prior to becoming Prime Minister, UNC leader Kamla Persad- Bissessar had herself called for a 'clear' migrant policy; and in commenting on the murder of an elderly Penal man-Winston Thomas, she said when elected, her government planned to take aggressive action against all illegal Venezuelan migrants.

She'd said then that her government would engage in deportations should the migrant community not 'get their act in order and desist from engaging in criminal conduct'.

'Every day for the last year, there were reports of violent crimes being committed by illegal Venezuelan migrants against our citizens. I will not stand idly by as this current government has done and allow more citizens like Mr Winston Thomas to be terrorised and murdered by illegal Venezuelan migrants,' she said then.

When asked during Thursday's post-Cabinet news conference, at the Red House in Port of Spain, what policy has been implemented to address this, Persad-Bissessar said none yet, but that the Government was assessing the situation.

Venezuelan migrants

Venezuelan nationals line up outside Achievors Banquet Hall, Duncan Village, San Fernando, during the Government's registration initiative in 2019. -Photo: TREVOR WATSON

'I said it on the campaign trail; we are looking at it. With respect to the Venezuelans who are here, I made the statement, and we are sticking to that. If they are criminals, they will be deported.

'With respect to others, assessment is taking place with regards to them. It is not like we are going to pick up every one of them and send them back, but criminals will be sent back,' she said.

But now, one month since the UNC came into power, those who work with the migrant population say it is time for the Government to make clear its plans.

Founder of the La Romaine Migrant Support Group (LARMS) Angie Ramnarine told the Sunday Express last Wednesday that although she did not disagree with Persad-Bissessar's sentiments of deporting migrants with a history of criminal wrongdoing, she believed it is the responsibility of the Government to put proper systems in place to vet migrants and improve its border control.

'They have to take responsibility for that. How are we securing our borders? The horse has already bolted and we have a significant demographic of migrants here. I feel some sort of amnesty should be given to those who missed the boat, who came in after or who as we saw in the last registration in San Fernando, had the gates literally closed on them,' Ramnarine said.

'If I were to have a say, I would close my borders first because the last time while people were lining up to be registered, people were coming into the country to be registered,' she added.

Citing US President Donald Trump's planned illegal immigration crackdown, she said the need for a policy, which she said had not been present in past administrations, had become a necessity.

Of the 16,000 migrants who were registered in 2019, she said, several had since left the country seeking refuge in other countries like the US.

'I am not sure the last government had a policy; they tried to give a few people a 'bligh', as they say, but a lot of those people who registered have gone to other countries and the data will show that pre-Trump, a lot of them went to the States.

'If Mr Trump is deporting en masse, as he is, the problem is going to face us again with the same overcrowding and the same people we had in 2019 will be landing back on our doorstep,' she said.

Ramnarine said there was a need for proper data collection to be done to determine how the population should be addressed.

'The last registration only looked at those registered when, in fact, I am sure the demographics will show there are even larger numbers of unregistered migrants working here. I think some sort of census has to be done and for any kind of policy to be made, you need to have data.

'You need to get on the ground and find out how many are registered and unregistered, and I am sure you will find a larger amount of unregistered and then what are you going to do with that... start another registration programme? I do not think anybody has tackled that issue as yet, nor did I see it on anyone's manifesto to be tackled,' she said.

Ramdeen: Legislation and policy

Stuart Young

minister takes the mike: Minister of National Security Stuart Young speaks to Venezuelan migrants during a visit yesterday to the registration centre at Achievors Banquet Hall, San Fernando. —Photo: TREVOR WATSON

Consultant and advocate Leela Ramdeen, who has worked with migrants through the Living Water Community, told the Express she hoped to see the new Government undertake a consultation process with the aim of drafting a comprehensive policy for migrants and refugees, accompanied by appropriate legislation.

Citing United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres's 2020 statement that 'all migrants are entitled to equal protection of all their human rights', Ramdeen said the Government should give effect to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons by ratifying them.

The ratification process involves incorporating these conventions into domestic law. 'Only Parliament can do this. And, in spite of advocacy by many human rights activists, including myself, this has not yet been done,' she said.

Draft policies drawn up in the prior years, she said, lacked 'teeth,' without legislation.

'Over the years, Living Water Community-UNHCR's implementing partner- has been working diligently, as have other organisations such as the Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ)/ Archdiocese Ministry for Migrants and Refugees to meet the varied needs of migrants and refugees.

'NGOs...can only do so much. We do not have the power to create Government policy. The draft policy that was drawn up years ago is inadequate and has no 'teeth', since it is not accompanied by legislation. I would like the new Government to undertake a consultation process with the aim of drawing up a comprehensive policy for migrants and refugees,' she said.

Ramdeen called for the children of migrants to be allowed education, noting that it had taken years for the government to give access to the children of registered migrants. Children without education, she said, often become prime targets for gang recruitment and are exposed to crime, violence and exploitation.

She also called for another registration programme that would allow those who were in the country, but who did not get a chance in previous iterations, to do so. In addition, she said she hoped the scourge of human trafficking would be addressed within the new Government's plan. 'You will recall that some years ago the then-AG Faris Al-Rawi had stated that the government would deal with the issue of migrants and refugees in a phased manner. This was not done.

'I would like the new Government to draw up a 'plan of action' and a timeline and commit to work to achieve the goals stated in the plan within a reasonable period of time- to be based on consultation with citizens.

'Since migrants and refugees have the same basic needs that we all haveeg, housing, healthcare, clothing, food, education, employment, and basic amenities, the plan must address these critical areas and others,' she said.

The Sunday Express contacted Foreign Affairs Minister Sean Sobers and Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge for comment, but did not receive a response.

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