HOLA, TRINIDAD

THE recent arrest of 22 illegal Venezuelan migrants is a mere drop in the bucket of refugees who are continuing to arrive in the country.

Refugees from the land seven miles away are still freely entering through illegal ports, mainly in south-western Trinidad.

Police and other knowledgeable sources have confirmed that there is a constant flow of Venezuelans arriving in Trinidad and Tobago, with most escaping law enforcement.

Various international organisations, such as the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Amnesty International and Refugees International, have also indicated that illegal migration remains unchecked.

Refugees International said that “tens of thousands of Venezuelans … have fled political and economic crises at home” and are now in T&T.

Those illegal migrants “are not protected by any domestic refugee legislation and are subject to criminal penalties, as a result.”

The Venezuelans “live under the constant threat of detention and deportation without the ability to work legally or access education.”

With the humanitarian crisis raging in their homeland, refugees – the majority of whom are women – have been making the dangerous journey on shaky pirogues to reach T&T, where they land at unmanned coastlines.

Boats are often crammed with up to 30 passengers, and the rocky trip could take several hours.

There are occasional surveillance operations by the T&T Coast Guard and Venezuelan Bolivarian Navy.

International experts say that T&T has the most number of Venezuelan refugees per capita and land mass.

It is estimated that more than seven million of Venezuela’s 28.2 million citizens have fled in recent years, with many going to Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and other South American countries.

But the pressure has been most intense on T&T, because of the small land mass and current stringent economic circumstances.

Many of the refugee women are still being lured into the flesh trade or job at bars and other places in the informal sector, mainly in Penal-Debe, Siparia, Point Fortin, Fyzabad, and San Fernando.

Many do not engage in the official Venezuelan migration process.

As a result, they constantly have to elude the law and are often victimised by employers, many of whom do not pay National Insurance for the refugees.

A few of the illegal migrants have been held for crimes.

The influx of refugees has displaced several working class locals, especially in hospitality places, like bars, where they are popular with lecherous local men.

The UNHCR said it will work across the Caribbean and Latin American region to assist refugees with education, health, shelter, sanitation, and water.

Amnesty International – which earlier this year chided T&T for deporting 165 illegal migrants – said many asylum seekers in the region suffer from a lack of official protection.

A minority of the migrants \have been deported and for this the T&T Government has faced international criticism.

Amnesty International charged that T&T’s authorities “criminalise irregular entry, contrary to international human rights standards.”

The group said that to deport the refugees “is an outrageous violation of the obligations that Trinidad and Tobago has committed to under international law.

“No one should be forced back to a place where they are at risk of serious human rights violations.”

So, while 22 illegal migrants were held at Erin, many more are saying “Hola, Trinidad,” and are freely entering and working in the country.