Browne: No migrant children's rights violated during school placement

LEADER of Government Business Dr Amery Browne has said no rights have been violated with respect to efforts to place the children of Venezuelan migrants legally registered in TT in 2019, in school.

He made this statement in the Senate in response to claims from Independent Senator Hazel Thompson-Ahye that the rights of these children may have been violated if they were unable to be placed in school.

Before she made those claims, Browne was responding to a question from Opposition Senator Wade Mark about the placement of Venezuelan children 18 and under in school.

After Browne said not all of these children were able to be placed in schools using the migrant registration framework, Thompson-Ahye claimed this could place TT "in violation of the (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child which we have ratified."

Browne, who is also Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister, made it clear to all senators "there is no violation to be reported to the UN at this time."

He said, "This is not a new phenomenon. What is new is the numbers given the arrival of Venezuelan migrants."

Browne added, "We always had reports of children in this country who may have fallen outside of the requirements of the Ministry of Education."

He said, "I have indicated, very clearly and calmly, this is not a static matter and recent progress and advancements have been made."

Browne was pleased that progress has been made with respect to placing the children of legally registered Venezuelan migrants in school.

"As significant cohort of the children in need of formal education are now able to access same.'

He said those children who were unable to be placed in school received their education through other modalities such as through the work of non-governmental organisations.