The Ministry of National Security, through its Immigration Division, has confirmed that 161 Venezuelan nationals, who were the subject of deportation orders and/or other operations of law, as part of the policy of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, were repatriated.
The repatriation exercise took place over the period of December 20th and 21st, the ministry said.
It disclosed that the Venezuelan government’s vessel docked at Staubles Bay, Chaguaramas, on both days to facilitate the transportation of the migrants.
“The repatriation process was supervised by officials of the Immigration Division, the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force and the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, along with a representative of the Venezuelan Embassy,” the ministry said.
Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds said, “The Government’s policy is quite clear. We have made arrangements to host all of those Venezuelans who registered in our Migrant Registration Framework, and to allow them to work and enjoy the protection of the laws and Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago.
“But, where persons are found outside of this framework, and/or otherwise outside of the purview of the Immigration Act of Trinidad and Tobago; or any other criminal laws, they will not enjoy such protection. The repatriation went quite smoothly and I thank the officials of the Venezuelan Embassy for their usual and continued collaboration and support.”
Yesterday’s release was, however, the first in recent times confirming that the repatriation exercises were done in a collaboration between T&T and Venezuela.