Immigration beefed up at airport

This follows a report in yesterday’s Newsday, that passengers arriving for Carnival from several international flights on Thursday and Friday were left restless and angry after having to wait long hours to clear immigration because there were not enough officers on duty. One person said there were only two officers to deal with passengers.

Posts from affected travellers on social media said passengers, mostly tourists, sought repose on their suitcases, chairs and even the floor in some instances to cope with the inconvenience.

Flights were said to have arrived from Miami, Toronto, New York, St Lucia and other parts of the Caribbean.

Cudjoe told Sunday Newsday she had been in contact with the Ministry of National Security, under whose purview the Immigration Division falls.

“We got information from the (Acting) Chief Immigration Officer (Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews) that a full complement of staff is out. In fact, there are 26 officers on schedule right now and there are 15 stations,” said Cudjoe, who claimed she had received no personal reports about the inconvenience passengers endured at the airport.

Cudjoe said according to information reaching her, the immigration officers on duty on Thursday and Friday were bombarded with an influx of passengers from several international flights.

“What they said is that they are experiencing an influx of a large number of flights that would have come in, a number of chartered flights and other regular flights that came in also. But all of the stations are being operated at this point in time.” The minister also said Carnival is in a period where there are no other major international events taking place.

“So that the reports from the airlines is that we are expecting quite a large number of people coming in this year.” Even so, Cudjoe avoided making any pronouncements about the success of Carnival 2017.

“I think it is still too early to call,” she said.

“But at the end of it all I think we will continue to work with all of the necessary authorities to tally up the numbers to see what the performance actually was.

“As of right now, the priority is to get these visitors in and immigration cleared so they could go and have a good time and enjoy the Carnival season.

“What we experienced at the airport is very important. Even though immigration is not under the Ministry of Tourism directly, we have to continue to work with immigration and other entities so that so that they could fully understand an appreciate the role that they play as the first point of contact when tourist or even our very own workers come to the airport.” In a statement last evening, the Ministry of National Security confirmed a full complement of immigration officers are on duty at the airport.

“Immigration officials have noted that the increase in passenger arrivals is in part compounded by the arrival of several charter flights in addition to the regularly scheduled flights.

Flights are coming in at the same time or very close together with hundreds of passengers disembarking from each flight,” the ministry said.

“The increase in arrivals on account of national festivities and the resultant longer wait time for passengers is not unique to Trinidad and Tobago and at times occurs at international airports in other parts of the world.” The ministry said immigration officials at the airport are monitoring the situation and continue to welcome citizens and visitors upon arrival.

In a subsequent statement, the ministry said Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon visited the Chief Immigration Officer at the airport yesterday and spoke with officers on duty.

Dillon and the Chief Immigration Officer discussed measures that have been put in place to deal with increased arrivals.

Dillon commended the officers and encouraged them to warmly welcome citizens, residents and visitors