LUCKY MIGRANTS

There was no mad rush nor were there many glum faces.

Instead, Venezuelan migrants smiled, yesterday, as they left the Port Mall, Tobago, after being given the green light, through a government amnesty, to live and work in TT for one year.

The nationwide amnesty, which began two weeks ago, was initially scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday.

However, the time period for registration in Trinidad was extended beyond the stipulated deadline to accommodate migrants who were already waiting in lines at the designated centres in Port of Spain and San Fernando at the time of the deadline.

According to a statement from the Ministry of National Security, the migrant process in Port of Spain and San Fernando was completed at around 1.45 am yesterday – although officials in south Trinidad reported yesterday that the exercise ended at about 4 am.

The ministry said, according to information provided by the officials at the San Fernando registration centre, all people who were in the line as of 5 pm on Friday were taken into the centre and processed.

Migrants at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain were all allowed to enter the venue and sit in the stands at 5 pm which allowed all to be registered.

A different scenario played out at the Caroline Building, Wilson Road, Tobago, however, where hundreds of Venezuelans, who had journeyed to the island hoping to be registered since early last week, were taken to the nearby Port Mall, Milford Road, Scarborough, before the 5 pm deadline. This action left them in tears, contemplating their next move.

The ministry said yesterday it did not sanction the abrupt, premature removal of the Venezuelan migrants from the Caroline Building to the Port Mall on Friday.

"With respect to Tobago, sometime before the 5 pm cut off yesterday (Friday), Venezuelans who were waiting to register were escorted to the nearby "Port Mall" facility as a humane gesture. This was not authorised by the Ministry of National Security, the Chief Immigration Officer or the Commissioner of Police," the ministry said.

"As such, the Minister of National Security was not informed of this action until sometime after 7 pm yesterday (Friday) when he began making enquiries based on certain media reports that surfaced after his 6 pm media conference."

Reporters had alerted Young to the development in Tobago during the briefing at the ministry's Temple Court office in Port of Spain. Newsday posted an online report along with videos of what happened to the migrants.

The release said on learning the facts surrounding this movement of Venezuelans, Young instructed that those who were moved from the Tobago registration centre be registered.

There were some who had already been registered and were merely seeking shelter and some who had not as yet been registered, the release said.

It added those who were moved to the Port Mall and not yet registered would have been registered yesterday "based on the minister's instructions."

Migrant George Silva, who registered successfully yesterday, said the exercise flowed smoothly.

"I just got through with my registration right now," he told Sunday Newsday.

"I have my papers and everything and the process is running real fast. Apparently all the people getting through now. Everything is in order."

Silva, who came to Tobago last Tuesday, said immigration officers carried out the registration exercise on the third floor of the Port Mall.

When he spoke to Sunday Newsday at around 11 am, Silva said about 100 migrants were registered. He said there were about 600 more waiting to be registered at the time.

Silva, who was expected to return to Trinidad yesterday, said he was really happy.

"I am just jumping for joy. We were really concerned but we learnt there was a lot of misinformation from Trinidad. But people are really happy and relaxed and now feel they have a chance at something good," said Silva, who has lived in TT for close to two years.

Other migrants approached by Sunday Newsday for an interview were not forthcoming but instead walked briskly towards the Darryl Foods and Royal Castle outlets on the ground floor of the mall with their brown envelopes in hand.

Anglican cleric Fr Jesus Latan, who has been assisting the migrants, told Sunday Newsday the group was asked to assemble at the Port Mall at 7 am yesterday. He said about eight immigration officers carried out the exercise.

Latan, who has been officiating at the St Patrick's Anglican Church, Mt Pleasant, for the past week, also said the registration process was smooth. He said there was a small group of police at the site.

"I spoke to some of them already and they have their papers and everything in order," he said.

Latan claimed the registration was shifted from the Caroline Building to the Port Mall "because the numbers of people are too many for the road.

"So, it was more convenient to find a place where we can keep them together and from there we could organise them."

Asked if the migrants are still fearful about returning to their troubled country, Latan said: "In the beginning they were fearful because they did not have proper information about what is happening. But sometimes, people have a tendency to create their own sensation and because of that some of them break down emotionally."

Latan said he counselled many of the distressed migrants. He said several pregnant migrants were also being monitored.

"One is in hospital and the doctors are taking care of her."

Latan, who has been appointed coordinator of the church's On Foot Outreach initiative, said the dilemma confronting Venezuelans provides an opportunity for TT citizens to show love.

"From a spiritual point of view, it is an opportunity to show love, caring, sharing...to empathise with people and love each-other as well love ourselves. From a social perspective, it shows that all of us are the same even though we are from a different kind of culture. So, we have to respect each-other no matter where we are and where we go."

Latan said he intends to contact the Tobago House of Assembly to discuss the possibility of hosting a sensitisation initiative where Trinidadians, Tobagonians and Venezuelans could come together to learn and respect each-other's culture.