More Venezuelans arrested

A marked police bus with flashing blue lights caused a stir yesterday among Venezuelan migrants, some who entered TT illegally for the historic amnesty drive, outside Immigration Division in San Fernando. Assuming police arrived to arrest them, some of the migrants began to hastily walk away and later realised that police were dropping off illegal migrants including children.

At about 11 am yesterday, police from the South Western Division dropped off about 20 people including women and a few children, for entering the country illegally.

On Saturday, the day after the historic amnesty ended, police arrested 20 Venezuelans in Santa Flora and 30 in Erin during exercises. They entered at beaches in the area and police believe they were hoping to be part of the amnesty drive which allows migrants to live and work for up to a year.

At about 1 pm yesterday, police arrested five more men at Palo Seco. Police believe they had just disembarked a boat and were trying to leave the forested area through National Trace where police from the South Western Emergency Response Unit intercepted the car.

The men had no documents and their clothes were covered with sand and mud, police said. They are also expected to be handed over to the Immigration Department in San Fernando.