St Kitts and Nevis is taking strong measures to combat human trafficking, targeting individuals who smuggle people into the country illegally or use it as a transit point for this illicit trade.
Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Garth Wilkin, announced the introduction of legislation specifically designed to address this pressing issue.
Introduction of anti-smuggling legislation
Wilkin emphasized that the focus is on tackling the smuggling of individuals into the Federation.
“We have created a standalone Anti-Smuggling Bill and amendments to the Immigration Act and the Transnational Crimes Act to address this issue which is becoming heightened and a more frequent national security matter,” he said.
St Kitts and Nevis recently faced a distressing incident when a migrant boat carrying 30 Cameroonians, which had departed from Antigua and Barbuda, sank within its territorial waters. Sadly, 16 West Africans lost their lives at sea.
Subsequently, St Kitts and Nevis authorities brought 14 Cameroonians and their alleged Antiguan human traffickers to the country.
In a press statement released on June 11, the government disclosed that it had granted the Cameroonians Asylum Seeker Certificates.
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Addressing migrant demands and government response
According to the terms of these certificates, the government will provide temporary housing to the migrants in an apartment complex for a period of 90 days, while their asylum applications are being processed.
The government further explained that the migrants, who had initiated a hunger strike, expressed a desire to communicate with the US Embassy for the Eastern Caribbean and requested permission to join relatives and friends residing in Texas.
The government clarified that the Cameroon nationals were informed that these demands exceed the authority of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, except for facilitating access to the US Embassy.
