Ex-IIR head: US ruling may push Venezuelans to Trinidad and Tobago

MORE Venezuelans could end up in Trinidad and Tobago after the US Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump's move to strip 350,000 migrants in the US of protection from deportation, said Dr Anthony Gonzalez, former head of the Institute for International Relations (IIR) at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, talking to Newsday on May 20.

The ruling overrides a California' judge's hold on that kept Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in place for Venezuelans whose status otherwise expired last month.

The status lets people live and work in the US legally if their home countries are deemed unsafe owing to occurrences like wars, natural disasters or other "extraordinary and temporary" conditions.

Gonzalez said Trump had got the court to revoke that status given to them by former president Joe Biden. He said, "Trump plans to deport them."

Saying 350,000 was "a lot of people", he said the impact of their deportation will largely depend on how and when it is done. The longer the spread of time would be the lesser its impact on TT, he said, expecting to see a period of one-two years, and once the Venezuela government agrees to accept them.

"It is a cause for concern," Gonzalez said, "Because Venezuela is not in a good position to receive these deportees now."

He said Venezuela has struggled to attract foreign investment, even as simultaneously it has already had the burden of having to receive deportees from the US.

Mulling fresh deportations, he said, "I would expect that would create some problems in Venezuela, where there are not enough jobs. So people will look for a way out."

While most go to other Latin American countries, he said a "small but significant" number came to TT and would continue to do so.

"That would have some effect on TT," Gonzalez mulled.

If more Venezuelans come to TT, issues may arise with the provision of jobs, healthcare, housing and education, the latter especially if migrants bring their children.

"We would have to find ways to help. I think we (TT) need to be discussing these things with the US." Gonzalez said some migrants may be linked to criminal activity.

He said local NGO Living Water has provided aid to Venezuelan migrants with much up to now funded by the US group, USAID. However the Trump administration has fired thousands from USAID, while announcing its intention to dissolve the humanitarian and developmental body.

Gonzalez said more Venezuelan migrants may end up in TT soon, but they will find less support. "Living Water will have to stretch its budget." He said so far in TT no Venezuelans sleep on the street, although in Colombia they do, he remarked. He said the possibility of deportations was "a cause for concern."

Gonzalez said, "I don't know how much we can do about it. The US government is Hell-bent on sending back people."

He TT cold tell the US of the problems it was now having plus how many more problems TT will get after a new Venezuelan influx.

"I am not very hopeful. They (US) have their own plans. They just want to get rid of migrants."

He said much will depend on the pace at which the US implements its plans. Gonzales warned against dumping lots of Venezuelans into TT, again noting, "Three hundred and fifty thousand is a lot of people." Newsday tried to get reactions from the leaders and past/present foreign affairs spokesmen of the government and opposition, but got no reactions just acknowledgements.