Region should help TT with migrant crisis

REGIONAL youth parliamentarians have advocated for the Caribbean to share the burden of host countries like TT with the Venezuelan migrant crisis.

The 15th Regional Youth Parliament Debate was held yesterday at the Parliament Chamber, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain. The debate was part of the week-long 44th Annual Conference of the Caribbean, Americas and the Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

Youth prime minister Kris Miller from Belize called for the whole Caribbean to come together and support host countries and communities where each member assisted with finance and overloading with migrants.

"So they come together to ensure that each community member can help each other with the amount of refugees that they are taking."

He added: "So when (the opposition) make the point that Trinidad cannot take on all the refugees this is why a structure like this will help. Because it is the whole Caribbean and where Trinidad cannot hold all another Caribbean country can help."

Youth education minister Orion Warner from Antigua and Barbuda also suggested that refugees be spread throughout the various Caribbean islands.

Youth national security minister Kemuel Pascall from TT piloted debate on the motion "securing our borders to mitigate the effects of crime whilst striving to meet our humanitarian obligations." He said the strategies from the government bench were: greater collaboration with Caribbean neighbours and tailored border security; more resources for border security; having a balanced number of male and female border personnel; and recruiting specially trained personnel including medical personnel and healthcare workers, child protection professionals, guardians for unaccompanied or separated children, legal aid providers, interpreters and cultural liaison officers.

Youth opposition leader Patrice Nisbett II from Nevis Island said he would not be like US President Donald Trump and say all immigrants involved in crime, drugs or are rapists.

"At the same time we cannot treat our borders like a Sunday morning altar call."

He said, while sympathetic to the tension and unrest in Venezuela, it did not mean that the when Venezuelans fled their country the floodgates should be opened and countries should "let in all and sundry."

Nisbett cautioned that allowing that to happen would lead to "the whole place mash up" as Machel Montano sang. He suggested a points-based immigration system similar to Australia where entry into the country was based on vocation, age and ability to contribute to the workforce. He also called for investment into equipment and surveillance at the borders.

Other speakers also criticised Trump's immigrant policies including his plans to build a wall and the separation of families at the border.

There were a number of suggestions about equipment on both sides including for fingerprinting, biometrics, a DNA database and radar.

Youth local government minister Halle Teart from Bermuda, who placed first in the debate, said the opposition had not disagreed with any point made by the government and therefore the government won the debate. She expressed concern about TT's low fertility rate, similar to Bermuda, and spoke of the need to bring in labour and take advantage of the opportunity presented by migrants.