Criminal deportees have been a problem in the Caribbean for some time now. When the great US of A realized that a number of the persons committing crimes were non-US citizens they started to get rid of the persons by sending them right back from whence they came. Some of them would be sent back immediately, while other would be sent back after serving time in jail. The government of Trinidad and Tobago has in the past blamed the upsurge in crime on the influx of criminal deportees. I agree and disagree with this to some extent.
I agree with the theory that criminal deportees who are returned to Trinidad and Tobago do indeed contribute to the levels of crime and violence in the country. But I really think that a lot of times they are doing the only thing they know to survive. Many deportees left Trinidad and Tobago as young children with their parents. They have very little if not no memory of Trinidad and Tobago. While living in the United States they for whatever reason turn to a life of crime. Subsequent to which they get caught and are returned “home” a place they barely know. On reaching Trinidad they would be left in the airport with nothing. And when I say nothing I mean nothing. Not even toilet paper or identification. Imagine being sent to a country to live that you don’t even know, not knowing anyone and not even knowing the cardinal points to be able to move around. Obviously these people would do what they have learned and know best and that is to do whatever it takes to survive whether it be legal or illegal. I spoke to a deportee who told me that he felt like a child in a candy shop when he came back to Trinidad because things he used to do years ago as a teenager for fun Trinbagonian criminals were now doing to make serious money. Essentially he became a master and started a particular trend in T&T (So the man say eh). The government is not to be blamed solely for this because the deportees would be sent back without local law enforcement being notified so the persons could be monitored. In order for the notification to be made there needs to be a memorandum of understanding between the two countries. The sad thing is that we cannot do that. You feel if we had a US citizen in jail in Trinidad we could put him on a plane and send him back with no identification. The person would not even be able to clear immigration and customs.
On the other hand I do not think that the local criminals need influence from deportees to make “advances in criminal technology”. Essentially our law enforcement agencies are too caught up in bureaucracies that cause them to be slow to react to the ever changing environment. Plus these days the internet can be used for both good and bad. So while we law abiding citizens using Google to find school work or to impress our boss they using it to find ways to outsmart the police. Let us face it criminals are not stupid. Well most of them at least. They are just using their creative energy in the wrong way.
Recently the government, through the Ministry of Social Development introduced a procedure to meet deportees on arrival. The standard operating procedure is that a social worker from the Social Displacement Unit of the Ministry of Social Development would be at the airport to meet deportees. Upon which a social history assessment and a needs assessment would be conducted to determine the level of assistance required in order to reintegrate the deportee into society. Provision of initial accommodation is not usually a problem, as well as transportation to the accommodation site. However until the assessments are completed it cannot be said what would be provided to the deportees.
I am in no way trying to make excuses for deportees because some of them left Trinidad and Tobago as adults to go and make confusion in the people country and then get sent home and bring their nasty ways back with them. I applaud the effort of the government to implement something to deal with the deportees who return with nothing and no family to turn to. If this initiative prevents one deportee from resorting to crime to survive then for me it is a success. Do you really think that deportees have contributed significantly to crime in Trinidad and Tobago?
I agree with the theory that criminal deportees who are returned to Trinidad and Tobago do indeed contribute to the levels of crime and violence in the country. But I really think that a lot of times they are doing the only thing they know to survive. Many deportees left Trinidad and Tobago as young children with their parents. They have very little if not no memory of Trinidad and Tobago. While living in the United States they for whatever reason turn to a life of crime. Subsequent to which they get caught and are returned “home” a place they barely know. On reaching Trinidad they would be left in the airport with nothing. And when I say nothing I mean nothing. Not even toilet paper or identification. Imagine being sent to a country to live that you don’t even know, not knowing anyone and not even knowing the cardinal points to be able to move around. Obviously these people would do what they have learned and know best and that is to do whatever it takes to survive whether it be legal or illegal. I spoke to a deportee who told me that he felt like a child in a candy shop when he came back to Trinidad because things he used to do years ago as a teenager for fun Trinbagonian criminals were now doing to make serious money. Essentially he became a master and started a particular trend in T&T (So the man say eh). The government is not to be blamed solely for this because the deportees would be sent back without local law enforcement being notified so the persons could be monitored. In order for the notification to be made there needs to be a memorandum of understanding between the two countries. The sad thing is that we cannot do that. You feel if we had a US citizen in jail in Trinidad we could put him on a plane and send him back with no identification. The person would not even be able to clear immigration and customs.
On the other hand I do not think that the local criminals need influence from deportees to make “advances in criminal technology”. Essentially our law enforcement agencies are too caught up in bureaucracies that cause them to be slow to react to the ever changing environment. Plus these days the internet can be used for both good and bad. So while we law abiding citizens using Google to find school work or to impress our boss they using it to find ways to outsmart the police. Let us face it criminals are not stupid. Well most of them at least. They are just using their creative energy in the wrong way.
Recently the government, through the Ministry of Social Development introduced a procedure to meet deportees on arrival. The standard operating procedure is that a social worker from the Social Displacement Unit of the Ministry of Social Development would be at the airport to meet deportees. Upon which a social history assessment and a needs assessment would be conducted to determine the level of assistance required in order to reintegrate the deportee into society. Provision of initial accommodation is not usually a problem, as well as transportation to the accommodation site. However until the assessments are completed it cannot be said what would be provided to the deportees.
I am in no way trying to make excuses for deportees because some of them left Trinidad and Tobago as adults to go and make confusion in the people country and then get sent home and bring their nasty ways back with them. I applaud the effort of the government to implement something to deal with the deportees who return with nothing and no family to turn to. If this initiative prevents one deportee from resorting to crime to survive then for me it is a success. Do you really think that deportees have contributed significantly to crime in Trinidad and Tobago?
my remedy for the highway capark apart from enjoying the sights and souds of trinis around who never lack for uniqueness, i read the Express in the morning and do the crossword puzzle on the way home in the evening.......
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