National Security Minister Gary Griffith says they have seen “a direct link between criminal activity and illegal immigrants.” Griffith linked the illegal immigrants to illegal drugs and the growing gang activities in T&T. A release from Griffith’s ministry on Tuesday stated there are 110,000 illegal immigrants from 16 countries in T&T. On Friday, Griffith said the figure could be far more. Guyanese and Jamaicans make up the largest numbers.
He also said employers should encourage those who have overstayed their time to regularise their status if they consider them an asset to their businesses. “If that is not done, there is going to be some housecleaning in this country with illegal immigrants.” Griffith said some of the illegal immigrants try to utilise the resources of the State through education, healthcare, employment and housing.
“That is where it becomes a burden to the State.” Immigrants would overstay their time by going outside of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) six-month period, while others make false claims to immigration officers, Griffith said. “The CSME is not one where you can enter a country and remain indefinitely.”
Bartlett: They demand more than our own people when it comes to health
Daphne Bartlett, president of the San Fernando Business Association, said outsiders flock to T&T because of our high minimum wage and good standard of living. “Some nationals from outside would also come in as criminals. I am not saying the Jamaicans are criminals but when they overstay their time, they become a burden on the State. I do CDAP prescriptions for people who are not Trinidadians.”
She said although patients have to show their IDs at pharmacies before collecting their medication, the doctors at the public hospitals do not deny non-nationals healthcare and prescriptions. “I have seen people who are non-nationals demand more than our own people when it comes to healthcare.”
Aboud: T&T presenting itself as a spoilt brat
President of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (Doma) Gregory Aboud, meanwhile, said T&T has presented itself as a “spoilt brat of the West Indies, living high on oil and gas revenues, and lavishing its citizens with all sorts of extraneous giveaways without considering its long-term effects and poor work ethics.” The giveaway programme, Aboud said, has left a huge vacuum in our workforce.
Aboud said while the association supports Griffith’s call to clamp down on illegal immigrants, Doma is urging the Government to consider offering legal immigration status to Caribbean nationals who are seeking employment, willing to work, and contribute to the country’s economic development. “Trinidad is experiencing a chronic shortage of people who are willing to work, not a chronic shortage of labour.
“The fact of the matter is, it is extremely difficult to compete with work programmes, where people report to work at 7 am and leave at 9 am.”