Illegal Immigrants - National vs UN's Position

 

Four years ago in 2010, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told reporters that while states are entitled to regulate movement across their borders they must do so in accordance with their obligations under international law including international human rights law. Pillay further stated that irregular migrants were particularly vulnerable to abuse. Governments too often treated them purely in terms of national security, often driven by hostile domestic political pressures.

In recent times, Trinidad and Tobago (TNT) has had to take a serious look at the issue of illegal immigrants. In fact, National Security Minister Gary Griffith is quoted as saying that national security intelligence has found that there is a direct correlation to some illegal immigrants and criminal activities in TNT. He said he was not deeming all illegal immigrants as national security threats, but there are some who pose a risk to the nation and that is why the Ministry is intent on clamping down on the situation and offering regularisation of status.

Getting it Right? is of the view that the situation of illegal immigrants cannot continue to go unchecked particularly in the light of the global issues of human trafficking and the Ebola virus. As such, some attempts must be made to have the situation rectified, so going forward, entry of persons into TNT would not go unchecked.  This checking would avoid many of the social hazards both experienced by the society and the illegal immigrants themselves.

Is the Ministry of National Security getting it right? Still a little early to say...but steps are being taken in the right direction. The society is more sensitized and this forces both domestic and national responsibility. Yes!!! Steps in the right direction... Getting it Right? would be monitoring developments of the handling of illegal immigrants in Trinidad and Tobago. Stay tuned...