The Government has enacted laws that will expand the number of citizens from Caricom member states who are permitted to enter and work in this nation and provide them permission to do so permanently.
The Proclamation of the Amendments to the Immigration (Caribbean Community Skilled Nationals) Act 2022 by President Paula-Mae Weekes was made public yesterday by Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr. Amery Browne.
- Advertisement -
The modifications, according to Minister Browne, “signal Trinidad and Tobago’s ongoing commitment to the deepening and strengthening of the regional integration process and brings Trinidad and Tobago into compliance with decisions of the Conference of Heads of Government regarding the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and the Free Movement Regime.”
There are now 12 instead of 5 kinds of workers that are eligible for free local transportation (university graduates, artists, musicians, media professionals, and athletes).
A couple of the extra groupings include security guards and agricultural laborers.
The change is another important step since it will allow Caricom workers to stay permanently in T&T.
When introducing the Bill in the Lower House of Parliament in June of last year, Browne clarified that clause 5 amends sections 3, 4, and 4(1), which aim to harmonize the protocol for Caricom nationals at the port of entry with the decision made by heads of state at the Thirteenth Regular Meeting in 2009, stating that all eligible categories of competent community nationals must be granted a definite entry of six months if they present their skills certificate at a point of entry.
“The receiving country has the right to verify the qualifications of the skilled national. Once verification has been completed, an indefinite stay shall be granted and the stamp entitled, “free movement, indefinite entry, right to work” must be affixed to their passport. Again, bringing us into line with the rest of the region,” he explained.
Before, there was a requirement to reapply for admittance into T&T within six months following entry.
A mechanism of verification is already standardized and in place across all member nations, according to Browne’s statement to Guardian Media yesterday.”
Every certificate we issue”, he continued, “will come with an advisory letter clearly outlining rights and responsibilities.”
According to him, the Immigration Service will issue two stamps that read, “entry for 6 months, right to work, verification required.”
The other stamp would say, “Free movement indefinite right to work,” if verified.
“If the holder of the certificate is found afterward to have false documents, is in serious breach of the law, or is a threat to national security, the Minister of National Security retains the right to revoke the status as a permitted entrant,” he noted.
According to the law, a violation of this would result in a $100,000 fine and five years in jail.
In a statement on the development, Michael Annisette, general secretary of the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC), praised the action and said it was a long time.
“We cannot do it by ourselves, regardless of how much money you have, how much gas money, how much oil, you cannot do it by yourself. We need to come together as a body, as a region, and work in unity for the development of the region,” he stated.
Annisette debunked the claim made by some in the public that immigrants would come here to oust natives from their occupations.
He explained, “We need to get past that narrative, you know, ‘you coming to take my job’ because those are things that have been instilled in our minds to bring about the continued division that we have.”
Several nations in the region have already enacted the rules imposed in this nation.
