Rowley: Stiffer penalties for human smugglers

THE Prime Minister vowed tougher penalties for individuals found to be encouraging the illegal entry into Trinidad and Tobago of Venezuelan migrants, speaking at Thursday’s post Cabinet briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

“You are going to see new and firmer laws for persons who encourage the illegal trade, and stiffer penalties for human trafficking.”

Dr Rowley spoke days after a boatload of Venezuelans drowned off Venezuela heading for Trinidad.

“Venezuelans are being encouraged to leave Venezuela for their circumstances, being encouraged to come to Trinidad by persons here who believe they are doing good,” he said.

“We have people here who know where the migrants are in the sea. They know when migrants are turned back by the Coast Guard. They know when they are coming back. They know which beach they are going to land on. They know who to talk to once they put foot on Trinidad soil.

“They know which lawyer to talk to. They are running a huge social media campaign, in Venezuela and elsewhere in TT. So it’s a big story. Big thing going on.”

However, he complained that while the Venezuelan authorities had charged six Venezuelans as "human traffickers and mafia," the TT media had wrongly scolded him by claiming he had referred to migrants as traffickers.

Saying some TT nationals think this country has too many Venezuelans, he said they would be re-registered and could contribute to TT’s development.

Rowley also said he must ensure TT does not become a refugee camp.

He said the Venezuelan migrant registration cards were due to last until December 1, but as of January 1, 2021, will be given a six-month renewal.

“During that period we will ramp up what we are doing with them. They will re-register. During that time we will then sort out, in a way, and it will move all the way.

“One thing we can’t expect and won’t do is mass deportation.

“We will go through and if you are people staying here and encouraging illegals to come here, then you are at the head of the line to go back home.”

But he said migrants with skills who are contributing to TT will be looked at favourably. He again urged people to use visas not illegal means for relatives to come to TT.

“What we do know is there are people in Venezuela organising people to go to Trinidad. Many of those are doing so for profit and they are called traffickers. We do know there are people in Trinidad integrated with that, receiving them and protecting them and assisting them in Trinidad.

“The laws we are going to upgrade will make it less attractive for our citizens in TT to do that. This is a matter that has grown in stature and complexity and we just have to evolve with it.”

Again, touching on the recent drowning, Rowley said it had happened in Venezuela and had nothing to do with TT. He hoped it would never happen again, and urged people not to encourage migrants to take such as risk that could cost the lives of their family members, but to instead apply for visas for relatives.

In an immediate reaction, Naparima MP Rodney Charles blamed the present situation on the Government's alleged poor border management. Regarding Rowley's tough talk, Charles wondered how such policies would account for the grey area of fishermen in Cedros, Trinidad, with wives in Tucupita, Venezuela.

He said once migrants enter TT it is hard to repatriate them, as he said the situation was now chaotic.