120,000 Caricom visitors to TT last year

SOME 120,055 visitors from Caricom were approved to enter TT last year. The revelation was made by Reita Toussaint, Ag permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs, citing figures supplied by the Ministry of National Security. She led colleagues in being questioned by Parliament’s Joint Select Committee (JSC) on Foreign Affairs at the Parliament building, Port of Spain, on the free movement of Caricom nationals into TT under the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) deal that takes full effect in three years time.

Otherwise, Toussaint said TT had approved 4,000 certificates for Caricom skilled nationals, but she did not have with her a breakdown of the job categories of those workers. This lack of detail irked committee member Shamfa Cudjoe who asked if free movement in Caricom was really happening.

“I’m a little troubled. Is this thing (free movement) really moving or is it just fancy talk among our leaders?”

Toussaint, in reply, assured her ministry had the breakdown.

Asked how many Caricom nationals had lodged complaints about being denied entry to TT, she said two people in 2018 and one last January.

Committee chairman Marlene McDonald lamented an ignorance of the number of Caricom nationals being ill-treated upon seeking entry to TT.

“We have no record. If we don’t know, we’ll not know how we are progressing with the CSME single market and economy.” Those details would inform future policy and legislation, she added. Toussaint said those details were best sought from the Ministry of National Security and Immigration Division, not her ministry.

Committee member Avinash Singh lamented that no provision was in place for Caricom migrants seeking jobs in TT as security guards. Toussaint replied, “It would be very difficult for me to comment on this, because I’m not aware of by what process someone may have employed personnel. I just know that under the CSME, arrangements are just not yet in place.”