Yes, bring them home

THE EDITOR: One wonders if TT is ever going to be considered a First World (or even Second World) country. The question has to be asked because the way citizens are treated leaves a lot to be desired. If we are striving for any status at all we must start thinking like first-class citizens and also treat each other as that higher ideal which we are striving for.

Imagine thousands of TT citizens locked out of their homeland and callously ignored by the Government as if it's no big thing. Imagine a planeload of nationals on their way home being refused entry. And to make matters worse, it was another Caribbean island just a few miles away that came to their rescue and gave them shelter.

And what about the dozens of women and children stranded in war-torn Syria for almost two years? We must remember that the children are TT nationals by reason of birth or parental lineage. We must also remember that these young children (some under the age of ten) had no choice in the matter when they were taken to a foreign land by their parents. And some of the women, like the children, had no choice.

Things did not happen as expected for the parents and families (some children without parents) ended up in camps. The living conditions in these camps are deplorable and sub-human, to say the least. There is no running water, no electricity, poor drainage, an unsanitary environment and its very insecure.

How can we allow our own to suffer such hardship and at the same time offer better living conditions to so many adults entering our shores from neighbouring Venezuela? I'm not saying we should turn the Venezuelans away, but we need to take care of our own first.

It is inhumane, callous and mean to leave these helpless and vulnerable children in Syria in sub-zero temperatures, without proper clothing or shelter, all because we want to punish their parents. For what? For making unpopular decisions?

All nations look after their own. Americans are proud to announce their nationality because their leaders “look out” for them. We should be proud of our status too. At a time when we talk so much about our sovereignty, democracy and our tolerant nature, we are leaving part of our country's future to suffer, shrivel and die in a foreign land. We can do better than that.

We need to bring these children home and the sooner we do that the better.

WKS HOSEIN

Chaguanas