AG, Young welcome ruling on Venezuelan deportation

ATTORNEY General Faris Al-Rawi and National Security Minister Stuart Young on Wednesday welcomed a ruling by Justice Frank Seepersad to throw out an application to stop the deportation of an 11 year-old Venezuelan girl.

The girl was one of a group of 26 who returned illegally on November 24, two days after they were escorted out of Trinidad and Tobago's waters by the Coast Guard.

On Tuesday in the Port of Spain High Court, Seepersad ruled in favour of the State.

Al-Rawi said the judgement is "a very important judicial pronouncement, which is simply clarifying a very large issue."

In cases where children are concerned, he observed, "There are very strong, heartfelt issues that pop into the equation."

But from a government perspective, he continued, "We have to be bound first of all what the rules of law is, what the terms of engagement are and how we manage the very large issue of separating out, the concept of economic migration over genuinely refugee or asylum seeker status."

Al-Rawi said the ruling showed "you cannot willingly breach the laws of TT and have a complete disregard for that position."

He also the ruling reflected that the Government's approach to covid19 pandemic needed to be considered.

There is a visa application process for Venezuelan nationals in TT, he pointed out.

"It was not that there was not an alternative remedy."

He also observed that TT nationals who cannot return home because of the pandemic "are not jumping on vessels and arriving to TT." This is not happening because "there is a regularity" as to how they can return home because of the pandemic.

He stressed that care must be taken not to "innundate TT in a swarm of migration that we cannot afford."

With 123,000 people on the Housing Development Corporation's application list for housing and 250,000 squatters, Al-Rawi said, "When we assign unto ourselves the treaty into law, and the protocols into law, we will be obliged by law to give priority treatment to persons who are not citizens of TT."

In those circumstances, he asked how Cabinet could explain to hundreds of thousands of citizens waiting decades for state housing "that they are to give way to the priority rights and interest rights of non-citizens."

In contrast to the Opposition UNC, Al-Rawi said the Prime Minister and other government ministers have demonstrated a balanced approach to dealing with Venezuelan migrants. He reiterated that care must be taken to avoid confusing "genuine asylum-seekers and refugee seekers from economic migrants."

There have been cases, he said, where TT nationals who economically migrated to the US were subsequently deported back to TT.

Young said, "I remain very concerned about who may be facilitating human trafficking and smuggling. I am pleased to see the application of the laws of TT." He pldged to continue to uphold TT's laws "without fear or favour, malice or ill will."