Minister Dillon: We will be ready

“If that is the case, then we have to put measures in place for deportees coming to Trinidad and Tobago,” he told reporters. “It is up to us as a country to take the necessary action and put the measures in place to treat with them when they come into Trinidad and Tobago.” Trump, in the run up to the campaign, has taken a tough stand on immigrants, promising to bring measures to stem the flow to the US.

Dillon said the Government was already receiving advanced notice on the arrival of criminal deportees into the country. “We are getting advanced notice as to deportees from the United States. So, we know when they are coming and we do have some idea as to their records.” he said. The minister said information on deportees, generally, also was available.

“So, far, we get advanced notice.

But, we will seek to continue that kind of dialogue with the United States because it is important for us to be aware who has been deported and some idea of their records in Trinidad and not only with the US but Canada and the UK, whichever country of origin,” he said.

Dillon said the Government was adopting a wait-and-see approach to Trump’s impending stewardship as US President, particularly in relation to national security matters.

“We will look at the policies that would be enunciated by the new US Government in so far as not only their policies with respect to Trinidad and Tobago but I believe the wider Caribbean,” he said. “We had the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative under the last administration so that whether or not, we will continue along that vein or new initiatives.” Dillon said he did not expect the relationship between T&T and the US to change drastically over Trump’s four-year term. “Historically, we have always had that kind of relationship with the United States and from where I stand, I don’t see any reason why it should be curtailed, whatsoever, but again, we have to wait and see what the new Government’s policy will be like to see if there are any changes,” he said.