Young on TT refugee policy: Amnesty International has 'agenda'

National Security Minister Stuart Young has hit back at human rights watchdog group Amnesty International, saying they “obviously have their agenda and want to impose their views on a sovereign state of TT.”

Young was responding to reporters at the post-Cabinet media briefing Thursday at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s. On Wednesday, Amnesty International, in a strongly worded statement, condemned Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi’s comments regarding TT’s obligations in relation to international laws, specifically his statement that TT had no legislation to deal with refugees and despite signing on to two international treaties, the country was not legally bound by them.

TT has signed on to two international treaties on refugees, the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, neither of which have been ratified, that is, incorporated into local law.

“The Trinidad and Tobago authorities must stop criminalizing the peaceful protest of migrants and refugees and find human rights-based solutions for them consistent with its existing obligations under international law,” Amnesty International said.

Recently 78 Cuban asylum seekers were arrested and imprisoned after protesting in front of TT’s United Nations head office in Chancery Lane, Port of Spain. This past August they also issues a statement against TT’s “repatriation” of 82 Venezuelan nationals, some of whom had allegedly applied for asylum.

“The Attorney General is mistaken in his understanding of TT’s obligations under international law. Having acceded to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, the country is bound by international law to uphold the terms of these treaties. This means it must respect the fundamental human right to seek asylum and never return people to countries where their lives or freedom are at risk.”

Human rights lawyer Emir Crowne had also criticised Al-Rawi, saying that the government was guilty of politicking and playing to their base at the expense of people’s lives and its international obligations.

“I saw another person who is a lawyer say the same thing. I will leave the AG to deal with it. I think the point they (Amnesty) are making is a very technical point. What they are basically saying is once you sign on to an international treaty you have a legal… they’ve escalated it to a legal as opposed to a moral obligation then to pass domestic legislation to make it law of the land. But in international law the mere signing of a treaty does not automatically become the law of the land in TT and that’s a fact,” Young said, standing by the AG’s interpretation of the law.