THE Government must do more against illegal migrants to Trinidad and Tobago, some of whom might harbour the Brazilian variant of the covid19 virus, Opposition Senator Damian Lyder said at a UNC briefing on Sunday at the Office of the Opposition Leader in Port of Spain.
He said the new strain was not brought into the country by TT nationals who had been shut out for the past year but by illegal migrants entering from Venezuela.
Lamenting Saturday's Ministry of Health figures of 402 new cases of infection and seven more deaths, he said, "The disaster within the nation's borders is being perpetuated by a lack of foresight. The situation has spun completely out of control."
Lyder reckoned TT has 120,000-150,000 illegal migrants from Venezuela, far exceeding the 16,000 recognised under the Venezuelan Migrant Registration programme.
"We suspect it is nearing 200,000," he added.
He did not give the basis for that estimate.
"I am here to beg that our Government secures our borders. Yes, I'm prepared to beg."
He alleged a flow of immigrants into TT was owing to both a failing national security apparatus (including rusting Coast Guard patrol boats which he said needed spare parts and diesel) and those migrants held by the TT authorities sending word back to friends and relatives that their treatment in TT would not be harsh if caught, but simply an order of supervision.
"Then they are set free to mingle among our citizens."
Lyder claimed that during the pandemic period, TT has done very few if any deportations, to the extent that now 500 deportation orders had been drafted but not acted upon, and will now have to be resubmitted to new Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds.
He said detention centres should be built in south Trinidad and at all points where TT's borders could be breached.
Lyder lamented, "The Government has got nothing in place to locate illegal immigrants, finding them, detaining them, corralling them and then deporting them back to their native lands."
He said if TT does not protect its porous borders and illegal migrants continue to enter, all the shutdowns and restrictions will amount to nothing.
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