Senior Reporter
akash.samaroo@cnc3.co.tt
Vision on Mission (VoM), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that assists the State with rehabilitating deportees, says Government must act now if hundreds of citizens are to be sent back to this country from the United States.
VoM CEO Giselle Chance yesterday said if a list purporting to be from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which states 1,197 T&T nationals are to be deported, is true, that is cause for concern.
“We already have a limited number of resources for persons coming in with the stigma of being deported, some of them having criminal records. As far as VoM is concerned we are almost at capacity. We fluctuate between 55 to 60 people at our Wallerfield facility and there is a waiting list. So, I am very concerned about our ability to absorb increased numbers,” she said.
“It would mean we have to look at how quickly we re-integrate persons who already exist in the programme, and we would not want to have people re-integrate too quickly without them getting a good footing.”
Guardian Media attempted to verify the list yesterday but there is no record of it on ICE’s website or social media pages.
In a brief statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne said: “Trinidad and Tobago continues to fully cooperate with the United States of America on issues related to migration, and deportation of our nationals from the United States.
“Of note, such deportations have been ongoing for years, with excellent communication between the respective teams and departments involved in these exercises. This communication and partnership continues. We have not been able to verify the various unofficial “listings” and similar documents that are in recent circulation, and caution against reliance on such.”
Chance said the State must reach out to organisations that work with deportees to audit their capacity before any influx occurs.
“It should not be that when they arrive, we are now getting a call to find out if we have ten beds available. That process should start from now. We are seeing what is happening with other countries, let us get proactive. The good thing is that thankfully, and I must give kudos, the State has made investments in agencies like VoM,” she said.
She explained that quite a few deportees re-join family members in T&T on their return but there are some with no familial ties and nowhere to go. That is when VoM is contacted for its services.
Chance added, “I would advise that they reach out to us and begin to do that audit. Do you need more beds? Do you need more care packages? Do you need finances so persons can travel to their relatives or contact them? Let us do that audit and see how NGOs and faith-based (organisations) can work with the State to provide the best support because what we don’t want them to do is come here and be a victim or perpetrator of crime.”
The VoM CEO said, from her experience, it is easy for those deported with a criminal history to resume that life in T&T.
“The reality is that for those who would have been heavily involved in crime, drug-related, gun-related, gang culture abroad, their first option is usually not to come to VoM, because they see it as a hindrance to their usual lifestyle. So those who are heavily involved in criminal activity abroad, most of them would have ties in Trinidad but they would alert their people before they come, and they would receive some level of support from criminal elements,” Chance warned.
She said border protection officials must get a full criminal history of each deportee.
US deportee Michael Sennon, who is now a gym instructor, explained that it is very easy to fall back into a life of crime in this country. Sennon was incarcerated in New York for more than three decades and was deported when he turned 51.
“It is very easy to get back involved in crime, there are so many negative elements out here and so many people are caught in this mindset of the fast life, fast cars, fast girls, fast money, so when things are moving slow and more laid back than in America then it would be easy for someone to jump back to their old ways,” Sennon explained.
He said he faced challenges returning to a country he left when he was three years old.
“Uncertainty, because my family did not take to me due to the rumours of me being incarcerated in the US. My father never bragged about it, but he was always open and honest with his siblings about what I did. So, when it was time for me to come to Trinidad, nobody wanted to have any dealings with me, and they left me at the airport just to figure it out. So, I had no choice but to go to the programme,” he said, referring to a programme facilitated by VoM.
“The programme is what they call in the US like a bus stop or a place where you can catch yourself and rest and what’s so good about this programme is you don’t have to worry about clothes, food and shelter because they facilitate that for you. They also help you to get a job, so when you don’t have to worry about those things, you can put things in place to put yourself together if you are serious but some people take it for granted and go down the wrong path,” Sennon explained.
He said it is important for newly deported people to have patience and understand that reintegration is a rebuilding process.
“Small work beats no work, and my first job was going into the prisons and talking to guys and then my other job was with CEPEP and I took myself back to school when I saved my money, which is part of the VoM programme—a money management programme where you are allowed to save a certain amount of money from your cheque.
“I was able to go back to school to be a personal trainer. So, I was able to become a personal trainer at Millenium Gym.”