Trinidad and Tobago will apply the law to Venezuelans who enter illegally

Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of National Security, Fitzgerald Hinds, reaffirmed that his country will apply the law to Venezuelans who enter that territory illegally, since the registration process to work and live for those who arrived illegally has long since concluded. .

Hinds pointed out in a press conference released this Sunday, in which the complaints of Venezuelan parents about their children’s obstacles to access the local educational system were addressed, that, once the regularization process is finished, people from Venezuela will have to submit to the law.

The official assured that his government does not have special plans for Venezuelan immigrants, apart from abiding by current regulations.

Venezuelans have been flocking to Trinidad and Tobago in recent months, coinciding with the political and social instability in their country.

The Trinidad and Tobago authorities repatriated more than 650 Venezuelans to their country in July for being in an irregular situation.

In May 2019, about 16,500 Venezuelan citizens complied with a registration process imposed by the Government for those who entered outside the legal channels, which allowed them to work and live legally in Trinidad and Tobago.

“We offered registration to Venezuelans and other nationals of other countries who were here in 2018,” he recalled.

He argued that those who did not take advantage of the opportunity or arrived in the country later were “outside that protection” and will be treated as stipulated by law.

“The policy is clear, those people who are here legally will not have problems, but those who are not will abide by the immigration laws,” said the minister.

In response to the complaint that none of the registered Venezuelan school-age children were allowed to enroll in the local education system, Hinds said he was aware of the matter.

When asked if children would need authorization from his agency to enter the school system, he replied that anything the Ministry of National Security can do in accordance with government policy it will do.

In 2019, the government asked the Association of Education Boards to prepare Venezuelan school-age children to enter the local system.

Since then, at least 100 children have met the criteria set by the Government and were prepared to enter primary schools.

But the process is paralyzed pending the approval of the Ministry of National Security to grant them permits to access the schools.

The president of the Association of Education Boards, Sharon Mangroo, confirmed that until last week no Venezuelan children had been given approval to enter the local educational system. (I)