6 V'zuelan women go to court for release from IDC

- File photo
- File photo

SIX Venezuelan women detained at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) since last year are hoping the courts will order their release.

The six – Greisly de Valle Rojas Morales, Yureyxy Milgros Gonzales Vegas, Yoriannelys Del Valle Centeno Olivero, Nycool De Los Angeles Aellos Rivero, Yohangelis Maria Romero Romero and Meyfred Del Valle Eliet Torres – have filed applications in the High Court.

They want the Chief Immigration Officer to justify their detention.

Three of the six were ordered to be deported but have not been, while the other three said they were denied the opportunity in May to register during the Government’s amnesty programme for Venezuelans.

They were detained on various dates last year: Morales and Romero in December; Vegas since February, 2018; Olivero and Torres since November; Rivero since July.

Only Vegas, Olivero and Romero were ordered to be deported while the other three are yet to go before a special inquiry.

Morales has registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) but is still waiting for word on her application, while Romero, who has two children and was advised to register with the UNHCR, said she was not allowed to.

Olivero, Romero and Torres say they were not allowed to register for the government amnestyt.

In June, National Security Minister Stuart Young said Venezuelans at the IDC, who did not have criminal charges against them, could register. However, the three women said no arrangements were made for them during the exercise, which cost $5 million and which saw some 16,000 Venezuelans registering.

In July, 248 Venezuelans who were unable to register during the two-week exercise begged for a chance to do so, but they were not allowed to and the Prime Minister gave instructions to deport those who were unregistered.

Dr Rowley insisted that the Government would not bow to pressure.

Those who did register began receiving their registration cards in late July. These allow them to live and work in TT for a year.

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