Govt to deal with deportees

A Multi-Sectoral Committee (MSC) to formulate a policy on how to address the problem of deportees, is to be formed. the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) of June 2000 between the TT government and US for “criminal returns” is to be re-negotiated; and laws are to be introduced to have deportees’ foreign criminal records admissible in local courts. These are among measures government intends to adopt to tackle the issue of deportees. Minister of Social Development Policy, Mustapha Abdul Hamid, in a statement in the Senate yesterday, said as at December 2003 there were 273 persons being deported back to Trinidad. The number of persons deported to TT rose from less than 50 in 1996 to an average of 213 between 1996 and 2001.

He said 90 percent of the deportees came from the US and 85 percent of the total number of deportees for all sending countries, had criminal convictions in several categories of crime including murder, rape, financial fraud, and possession and trafficking of illegal drugs. Hamid said with specific reference to deportees from the US, the ratio of criminal to non-criminal deportees is approximately three to one. Deportees are generally between the ages of 16 to 53 years old, many of whom migrated as minors. The Minister said because the country was “confronted with the urgent need to handle the serious issues of the inflow of deported persons,” there was the need to conduct a survey to determine the impact of the inflow of deportees to society because they posed threats to the security of the nation and they could exacerbate the problem of social displacement.

Hamid said the Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Security, formulated a proposal to deal with the issue, which was submitted to Cabinet last month. He said the recommendation provides for the “effective monitoring of deportees, skills training, rehabilitation and counselling and assistance in securing employment.” As an immediate measure, Hamid said the MSC   will be set up to serve for a period of two years initially. That committee will formulate a national policy to deal with the deportee problem and oversee the implementation of measures in treating with the socio-economic impact of deportees to TT and region.