Insane asylum

WE FIND it untenable and downright shameful that this country is yet to formulate binding laws and regulations to govern the matter of refugees seeking permanent residence here.

The evidence heard by the Parliament’s Joint Select Committee on Human Rights on Friday paints a picture of a complete abdication of responsibility when it comes to our sovereign right to outline what should be a key matter of foreign policy. There has been much hullabaloo over the failings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – whether executive or technocratic – in relation to our vote at an Organisation of American States (OAS) meeting last month. Meanwhile, fundamental issues that are literally closer to home remain neglected by successive government administrations.

According to Acting Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews, on a weekly basis, between 150 and 200 Venezuelans arrive in Cedros by pirogue, most with no legal documents. And that’s those we know about. Crucially, the numbers of Venezuelans that have applied for asylum have increased from five in 2016 to about 2,000 this year. And daily the figure is rising.

At the same time, the committee heard, this country has no laws in place to deal with asylum seekers. There was a Cabinet policy adopted in 2014 under the previous administration. The current arrangements involve the Living Water Community – which is a Roman Catholic Church organisation – and referral to the UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency.

It should be noted that the UNHCR focuses on activities related to refugee status determination, capacity-building and advocacy. Protection activities are implemented in the areas of education, health, shelter, food security and durable solutions. The UNHCR’s Office in TT is operationally and financially managed by UNHCR’s Regional Office in Washington. In effect, we have delegated a responsibility for a key matter of foreign and public policy to an international agency based abroad. That is ludicrous.

We need a robust debate about our foreign policy measures, relating not only to how this country votes at international bodies like the OAS but also how we define the measures that have direct bearing on our sovereign borders. This is a human rights issue, yes, and it is also one that should engage the attention of our parliamentary organs. The Immigration Act needs to be completely overhauled and amended in order to remove its abhorrent and archaic sections as well as to make it more up-to-date with our modern circumstances which see our closest neighbour crumbling before our very eyes. To do otherwise is, in our view, to continue madness.