National Security Minister Gary Griffith is inviting Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs Minister and his Opposition counterpart to join him for talks. He said so yesterday after the Jamaican Government and Opposition officials criticised his statements on 13 Jamaicans who were denied entry to T&T recently.
Jamaican Foreign Affairs/Trade Minister A J Nicholson called on Griffith to “refrain from continuing to muddy the integration waters” in his comments that the influx of thousands of illegal Jamaicans into T&T was putting a strain on its resources. Jamaica’s opposition spokesman on foreign affairs and foreign trade, Edmund Bartlett, also criticised Griffith’s statements.
Griffith said his proposed talks would be “aimed at arriving at amicable resolution in the best interest of both countries and all their citizens at the earliest possible opportunity.” Last week, Griffith supported the immigration officers who deported 13 arriving Jamaicans last month, saying the authorities cannot act as a rubber stamp when it comes to allowing people into the country.
He said there were more than 19,000 Jamaicans in T&T who entered at legitimate ports of entry but over 8,000 had remained illegally and could not be accounted for. Griffith said yesterday the Jamaican Foreign Minister’s comments showed that the latter didn’t “get it”.
He said it demonstrated “an unfortunate posture in a situation where efforts toward diplomatic resolution should be a priority, especially in circumstances where the restrictions placed on entry by citizens from specific countries were as a direct result of overt breaches against T&T’s immigration parameters.” He said the passengers who were refused entry were in breach of local immigration laws by providing conflicting information on the reasons for their visit.
Griffith said T&T had spent $2.3 million between October 2012 and September 2013 to send non-nationals back to 11 states. The cost of sending back those of Jamaican nationality over that period was $39,204.60.
He added: “The accusation of me attempting to ‘Muddy integration waters’ by ensuring that the rule of law is applied to all persons who have demonstrated a reasonable breach of T&T’s immigration guidelines begs the question as to whether such integration is pegged on member territories conveniently breaching their own internal rules of law to accommodate other member territories.
“As National Security Minister, I will not expect any of my regional counterparts to assume any such posture that has the potential to impugn their sovereign territory and national safety and security.” Griffith added the longstanding immigration issue “should be treated in a responsible and non-emotive manner by governments, without the unwarranted and personalised condemnation of neighbouring Caricom partners.
He said: “Full clarity must be sought in all matters before pronouncements are made. “Statements were made by the Jamaican officials, based solely on the accounts received from the persons who were legally refused entry on very specific grounds, whereas when the issue is being clarified by the relevant Minister of National Security, it is seen as ‘unacceptable.’”