17 'vulnerable' Venezuelans released

IMMIGRATION officials have released 17 Venezuelans – 11 children and six adults, two of whom are in their 80s – from the state quarantine facility at the heliport in Chaguaramas.

They were put on orders of supervision but attorneys for the State could not say why they were released.

Several writs of habeas corpus applications, filed by the Venezuelans’ attorneys Criston J Williams, Kerrina Samdeo and Jerome Riley, came up for hearing on Friday before Justice Joan Charles, who earlier this week ordered the release of ten children and their mothers from the heliport.

The judge was told the Venezuelans were released by Immigration division officials. The two elderly Venezuelans were released into the custody of Leopold Rojas, the son of one of them, who has a government amnesty permit.

State attorney Neil Byam said he had no instructions on why they were released, but was told they had been.

However, a deportation order was issued for one of the Venezuelans who were challenging their detention at the heliport facility.

The attorneys for the Venezuelans had asked for their clients to be released on supervision orders as they were vulnerable since they were minors and elderly.

Charles said she was pleased that the group of minors and the two elderly were released, as it was the “humane thing to do,” given their ages and vulnerability.

In response to a call by Williams for a written decision, because he was concerned about the country’s image, Charles made it clear she would be addressing the law, not politics. She reminded that the court had before it writs of habeas corpus and, given the policy of the Immigration Division not to issue deportation orders for children, she was only giving a general warning.

She was referring to the comments she made earlier this week when she released the ten children and four mothers. She said then a decision to detain minors set a bad precedent, attracted negative publicity for the country and there must be some type of intervention by the legislative arm of the State to ensure such incidents do not take place in the future.

On Wednesday, Samdeo wrote to the Immigration Division asking for disclosure of any policy, written or unwritten, to address refugee/asylum matters in Trinidad and Tobago; any policy relating to the detention of those deemed vulnerable; and any declaration or notification by the Government that it has denounced the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees.

No response had been issued before the lawyers were told on Friday their clients hadbeen released.