Treat immigrants humanely

THE EDITOR: How in this day and age, the Government of TT does not yet have a refuge policy is puzzling.

There are thousands of Venezuelans and hundreds of Cubans and other Caribbean nationals pouring into our country seeking asylum, so it is difficult understand how those in authority didn’t see this coming years ago.

TT is fast becoming a major immigrant-receiving country and, therefore, high on our priority list should be a clear policy on how we treat with these people that have been displaced from their homeland seeking a better life elsewhere.

The United Nations already has a framework that we can quickly adopt that will, for the very least, let migrants access public health care and schooling for their children. To all the haters reading this, please remember that these people also come here willing to work, so why not grant them that right and benefit by collecting taxes. These people will increase our country’s consumer base and may even give the business community a little bump in sales.

To be clear, I am not suggesting we have an open border policy, but denying people that are already here of their basic freedoms and having them live on the side of the road is inhumane!

Of course, we need to have robust checks on each person entering and send all those with criminal records packing on the first flight back home, but let us not become a heartless society that doesn’t recognise its role in assisting our neighbours in their time of desperation.

Don’t we continuously brag how hospitable and big-hearted Trinis are?

Steven Valdez via e-mail

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