Legal Bid For Venezuelan Migrants To Remain In Trinidad Fails

A group of Venezuelans, including 16 children who were deported on Sunday while legal proceedings were pending, could not be returned to this country for a hearing of their case.

When the case was called before Justice Avason Quinlan-Williams on Monday afternoon, Senior Counsel Reginald Armour, who led the legal team for the Immigration Division, Ministry of National Security, and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, indicated that the group could not be returned as ordered by Justice Quinlan-Williams as they were already on an island in Venezuela’s territorial waters.

She also agreed that their current location meant that the habeas corpus lawsuit, challenging their detention by State officials, could not continue as the court no longer had the jurisdiction to hear the case.

Attorney at Law, Nafeesa Mohammed, represented the families of the migrants. She said relatives in Trinidad are worried about the real location of the children.

The three women and 16 minors were detained after arriving in Chatham last Tuesday.

The migrants were held in custody by police until their deportation on Sunday morning when they were placed on two civilian vessels and escorted out of local waters by the Coast Guard.

Ms. Mohammed said the outcome of Monday’s ruling has highlighted the need for Trinidad and Tobago to develop a strong refugee or migrant policy.

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