Kamla warns migrants who commit crimes:

Gail Alexander

Senior Political Reporter

Behave or be deported! That was the blunt warning yesterday from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to delinquent Venezuelan migrants as she doubled down on the position she aired at Monday’s UNC criminal justice reform consultation in Barataria.

“Illegal Venezuelan migrants have a clear choice to make: either peaceful, law-abiding habitation in our country or deportation, there is no middle ground. Their future within our country rests solely in the decisions they make in the coming months,” Persad-Bissessar stressed yesterday, detailing what a UNC government would do.

Reinforcing the position she gave on Monday, she declared. “Trinis first” and warned delinquent Venezuelans to “go back home” if they couldn’t behave in T&T.

“Every day for the last year, there were reports of violent crimes being committed by illegal Venezuelan migrants against our citizens. I will not stand idly by as this current government has done and allow more citizens like Mr Winston Thomas to be terrorised and murdered by illegal Venezuelan migrants,” she said.

“Today I make it clear: If the Venezuelan migrant community do not get their act in order and desist from engaging in criminal conduct, begin assisting the TTPS in identifying Venezuelan criminals, and integrate peacefully into our society, my incoming government will take aggressive action against all illegal Venezuelan migrants and deport every one of them to their homeland by any means necessary.”

She added, “Trinidad and Tobago citizens have been tremendously generous in accepting Venezuelan migrants over the last few years. They have been accepted in our schools, given free health care, benefit from subsidised water, electricity and fuels, are allowed to open businesses, and use all public amenities that are paid for by the taxpayers of this country.

“These migrants pay no taxes on income, no national insurance, no health surcharge and therefore out-compete locals for jobs as employers seek to cut labour costs. The UNC has repeatedly called for a clear migrant policy to be implemented by the State, but none has been articulated by the Government to date.

“Every day for the last year, there were reports of violent crimes being committed by illegal Venezuelan migrants against our citizens. Four days ago, 69-year-old pensioner Winston Thomas, a resident of my constituency of Siparia, was found dead in his car along the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway. He was violently attacked by Spanish-speaking intruders in his home, beaten, robbed, kidnapped, and murdered.

“Witnesses reported that they heard Mr Thomas being beaten and saw his attackers forcing him into the back seat of his car. Mr Thomas’ hands were tied behind his back, and he was stabbed in his head by Spanish-speaking suspects.” Persad-Bissessar added, “With the killing of Mr Thomas, I say enough is enough; the time has come to take action against Venezuelan migrants who are committing crimes daily against our citizens. The Venezuelan migrant community must also take action and assist the TTPS in rooting out violent Venezuelan criminals who are terrorising our citizens.

“The well-being of Trinidad and Tobago citizens must always come first, our nation’s generosity is now being exploited and our citizens terrorised. The nation is already besieged by violent local gangs.”

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