Young: I’m deporting V’zuelan criminals

MINISTER of National Security Stuart Young said he had already signed deportation orders for Venezuelan criminals operating in TT, speaking at yesterday’s post Cabinet briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s. He also gave updates to the Government responses to the unrest in Venezuela, by way of a temporary amnesty for migrants already in TT plus the deployment of this country’s military assets to safeguard TT’s borders.

Young said after the period of registration of Venezuelans from May 31 to June 14, the law would revert to normal.

“I’m happy to tell the population that keeping true to my word, I have signed a number of deportation orders for Venezuela citizens who have decided to engage in a life of crime in TT.” He said the deportation orders were for Venezuelans “charged and convicted of crimes in TT.”

“This Government will not tolerate any criminal element carrying out crimes in TT whether you are a national of TT or any other national.”

This policy has been spelt out to the Immigration Division and the police, he said.

Young said he and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi had, on Wednesday, met the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration, largely to discuss Venezuela.

“We welcome their assistance with respect to any suggestions they can make to us, any assistance they can provide for the registration process.” He said those agencies were working in places like Colombia where the registration of Venezuelan migrants was already taking place.

“I made it clear then and I’m making it clear now that the Government’s registration process is nothing to do with asylum seeking in TT (and) is nothing to do with refugee status in TT.” He said those were separate issues to the registration process.

“I also made it very clear to the UNHCR in that meeting that if anybody, even if when they are registered (with the Government) or they have registered with the UNHCR and they get a certificate that they are seeking asylum and refugee status, if they are caught/detained in any criminal activity I will deport them.”

“It is this Government’s position that even if you have a UNHCR certificate but you decide to go and commit a criminal act in TT, you will be deported. The registration card is not going to help you. A UNHCR certificate is not going to help you.”

Young said after June 14 the Government would not extend the registration period.

“You enter illegally you will be deported. You overstay, you’ll be deported.”

He alluded to a heightened response to Wednesday’s unrest in Venezuela.

“Even though we’ve been trying to secure our borders more and have been meeting with quite a lot of success within the last couple of months, over the last 72 hours we have increased our maritime patrols and are working on the seas. We have all of our maritime assets out on our territorial waters in TT, preventing illegal persons coming into Trinidad as best as we can.”

He said the police and TT Defence Force were also doing patrols on land. All patrols are intelligence driven, and using data from the country’s radar, Young added.