PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The main opposition United National Congress (UNC) has criticized the government’s Venezuelan migrant registration process, which started on Friday at three centers across the country.
Once registered, the Venezuelans will receive a registration card which will authorize them to work legally in the country for one year and the holder of the permit will be assessed every six months.
However, the UNC says registration is “not a policy”.
“Instead of heeding numerous calls to take a proactive and sensible approach which would have allowed Trinidad and Tobago to be better equipped to deal with the numbers of Venezuelans coming here, the Government is now trying to pass off registration as policy,” said Anita Haynes the UNC’s public relations officer.
Haynes also accused the government of incompetence, saying that there is no coherent plan.
“They’ve offered no coherent or even substantive plan, and certainly no long-term measures to address the migration of Venezuelans fleeing their country. The world is looking on at the manner in which our country is dealing with this issue, and already international groups such as Amnesty International have questioned ‘how the government proposes to process all the applicants in such a limited period of time, and how it plans to safeguard the confidentiality of those that register and ensure that it does not fall into the hands of the Venezuelan authorities.”
She added that the Government must present a comprehensive policy that assists the Venezuelan nationals while at the same time protects the interests of our citizens.
The Keith Rowley government said that the registration process will afford Venezuelans who have registered the right to remain here “undisturbed and unperturbed” for up to a year with the right to work, protected by local laws against abuses by employers, especially regarding minimum wage.
Venezuelans have been fleeing their country in droves after opposition forces backed by the United States have sought to remove President Nicolas Maduro, who was sworn in for a second consecutive term as head of state, from office.
Trinidad and Tobago has joined the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping in not adopting a non-intervention policy regarding Venezuela and has been seeking to mediate in the crisis.
