MORE TRINIS SEEK REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA

SEVERAL Trinidad and Tobago nationals are currently seeking refugee status in Canada.

The claimants are not daunted by the recent ruling of a Canadian High Court judge against a family of three who said they would suffer hardship if they were sent back to T&T.

While the judge ordered the deportation of Kumar, Yoginee and Karina Deopersad, a small number of T&T applicants have, from time to time, been permitted to stay in the North American country.

Current applicants are citing T&T’s difficult economic circumstances and high crime rate.

In some cases, they are saying they or their close relatives were victims of crime or they were unable to secure sustainable jobs or properly upkeep their respective families.

Graphic examples are provided about the state of affairs in T&T.

Refugee aspirants could apply under the grounds of humanitarian and compassion.

Applications are considered by the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

Rejected claimants could appeal to the Refugee Protection Division.

The Deopersads said that in T&T they were followed home after work and robbed at gunpoint.

Justice Michael Manson reported that the applicants said “there is no solution in place to protect them, particularly given the rising crime rate and the number of illegal guns on the streets.”

The Deopersads travelled to Canada in 2019 and resided with relatives, who are citizens of that country.

But an immigration attorney said that some applicants – including a widowed spouse and her two children – have been given refugee protection in Canada.  

“It all depends on the effectiveness of their application,” he explained.

“They have to convince the authorities that their lives and those of their immediate family are at risk.

“The claim cannot be generalised.”

In recent months, scores of T&T citizens have fled to various international cities to escape the deteriorating quality of life in their homeland.

Canada has been a popular destination because of the long history between both countries.

During the economic hardship of the 1980s, thousands of nationals – including an entire village from Penal – applied for Canadian refugee status.

The Canadian authorities were more accommodating then but later tightened their relevant policies.

But Canada remains welcoming of migrants.

The State agency, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is aiming to admit 465,000 migrants this year.

IRCC would permit 485,000 in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025.

The United Nations and other international bodies have repeatedly named Canada as one of the best countries in the world in which to live.

In contrast, T&T’s unemployment rate is at around 25 per cent, with about one-third of citizens living under the poverty threshold and the murder rate climbing at record levels.

MORE TRINIS SEEK REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA

SEVERAL Trinidad and Tobago nationals are currently seeking refugee status in Canada.

The claimants are not daunted by the recent ruling of a Canadian High Court judge against a family of three who said they would suffer hardship if they were sent back to T&T.

While the judge ordered the deportation of Kumar, Yoginee and Karina Deopersad, a small number of T&T applicants have, from time to time, been permitted to stay in the North American country.

Current applicants are citing T&T’s difficult economic circumstances and high crime rate.

In some cases, they are saying they or their close relatives were victims of crime or they were unable to secure sustainable jobs or properly upkeep their respective families.

Graphic examples are provided about the state of affairs in T&T.

Refugee aspirants could apply under the grounds of humanitarian and compassion.

Applications are considered by the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

Rejected claimants could appeal to the Refugee Protection Division.

The Deopersads said that in T&T they were followed home after work and robbed at gunpoint.

Justice Michael Manson reported that the applicants said “there is no solution in place to protect them, particularly given the rising crime rate and the number of illegal guns on the streets.”

The Deopersads travelled to Canada in 2019 and resided with relatives, who are citizens of that country.

But an immigration attorney said that some applicants – including a widowed spouse and her two children – have been given refugee protection in Canada.  

“It all depends on the effectiveness of their application,” he explained.

“They have to convince the authorities that their lives and those of their immediate family are at risk.

“The claim cannot be generalised.”

In recent months, scores of T&T citizens have fled to various international cities to escape the deteriorating quality of life in their homeland.

Canada has been a popular destination because of the long history between both countries.

During the economic hardship of the 1980s, thousands of nationals – including an entire village from Penal – applied for Canadian refugee status.

The Canadian authorities were more accommodating then but later tightened their relevant policies.

But Canada remains welcoming of migrants.

The State agency, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is aiming to admit 465,000 migrants this year.

IRCC would permit 485,000 in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025.

The United Nations and other international bodies have repeatedly named Canada as one of the best countries in the world in which to live.

In contrast, T&T’s unemployment rate is at around 25 per cent, with about one-third of citizens living under the poverty threshold and the murder rate climbing at record levels.