UNC Member of Parliament for Naparima Rodney Charles, is thanking Canada for putting a policy in place to help TT agricultural workers stranded there due to T&T’s travel restrictions.
In a release, Charles( a former Trinidad and Tobago Ambassador to the United Nations) said: “They have apparently witnessed Minister of National Security, Stuart Young’s, incompetence with respect to returning our stranded nationals home, or even assisting them abroad, and have done what first world countries do; create a plan to address the situation frontally before it turns into a disaster.”
Under Canada’s policy, which will be in effect until February 12th 2021, TT workers there can apply for temporary status to obtain a 6-month work permit so that they will be entitled to government support, including emergency accommodation.
Charles said: Our citizens have been pleading with the uncaring Prime Minister, Dr. Rowley, and his administration for months for assistance, to no avail. There have been reports of citizens trapped around the world, ailing from various illnesses, deteriorating mental health, minimal funds and lack of accommodation. Yet Rowley’s regime has dragged its feet on coming up with a practical plan.”
Charles added: “Young’s treatment of our citizens has been that of an uncaring god, looking down on our stranded nationals from his high pedestal, dangling the keys to enter our country just out of their reach. Imagine another country has to develop a plan to provide for our own nationals because this government simply does not care.”
He noted “This is not the first instance of such international embarrassment over a similar issue.
In October, the plight of stranded TT citizens in the UK was highlighted in the UK Parliament.”
Charles said he hopes that occurrences such as these are a thing of the past and that this PNM administration will wake up from its slumber and focus on matters of national importance, like returning our nationals home with haste, while at the same time abiding by all proper health protocols.
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