tHe sItuatIon oF VeneZuelan CHIld mIGrants In trInI- dad and tobaGo

tHe sItuatIon oF VeneZuelan cHIld mIGrants In trInIdad and tobaGo

sameer sookoor - trinidad and tobaGo

“Out of the pot and into the fire” is a common saying, used when one has left a bad situation, only to fall into worse circumstances. In Trinidad and Tobago, this can be said of Venezuelan migrants. Children in this situation are innocent victims, and adults’ actions bring them into death, abuse, prostitution, education deficit and grief.

“There is no tragedy in life like the death of a child. Things never get back to the way they were.” [Eisenhower] Both Trinidadians and Venezuelans alike mourned when the news of a baby, Yaelvis Santoya Sarabia killed at sea broke. What hurt the most, however, was the fact that it could have been prevented. What compounds the pain in this situation, is the plight of The Venezuelan parents, as they certainly would not have put their child in this situation if there was any other option. As grave as this scenario was, it is not an isolated incident, as Venezuelan immigrants, including children have drowned at sea. On the 13th December, 2020 residents of Guiria, Venezuela, left for Trinidad and were never heard of again. One can only imagine the anguish of the children, and their fear as they realized that death was imminent. I believe that something needs to be done about this concerning matter. I long to see the day when such incidents are completely eliminated. We should not have to accept the deaths of children. “While we weep over the graves of infants and the little ones taken from us by death, an early grave may be the shortest way to heaven.” [Edwards] As migrants in Trinidad, children are often placed in situations of abuse, to the point where many wonder whether Trinidad is not a ready hell for young Venezuelan children.

On the 3rd February, 2020, Camille Hunt wrote the article “Little Venezuelan Girls Being Sold in T&T” in which she highlighted the plight of children who were victims of human trafficking. More worrisome, is that these children are being sold as prostitutes, for as much as $1500 USD.

According to Pope Francis, “The trafficking of people is a crime against humanity. We must unite our efforts to free victims and stop these crimes that become more aggressive.” However, the increase in these varieties of crime lies in police involvement, and officers turning a blind eye to the issue. On February 24, 2020, two officers, Inspector Rajesh Gookool and Sergeant Richard Lalbeharry were among the 3 persons charged with the trafficking of children, for receiving a benefit, knowing that it was the result of trafficking children. Even more depressing, is the fact that these cases are not outliers. While police corruption is a well-known issue, lawyers, accountants, and financial workers are also involved in this lucrative trade. “As a child I never imagined that all the real monsters in the world would be humans” [Karma Soam Tsoma] The most worrisome facts about trafficking Venezuelan children as sex slaves in Trinidad and Tobago is the lack of convictions surrounding the issue.

Venezuelan children are in crisis. Obviously, more needs to be done about their

situation, as their rights are being taken away at every juncture. Many parents are leaving their children behind to migrate, and secure money for the care of their families. However, while these children might have more to eat, they grieve for their parents and loved ones. Sometimes, these loved ones never make it back to Venezuela, as migrants are victims of crimes in many countries, due to their jobs in high-risk positions. An example of this is Andy Hosein, who was shot and killed as he worked as a security guard in San Fernando. In a separate issue, those who survive the journey to Trinidad have to face the inequivalent rejection of deportation. On December 17th, 2021, 22 children were deported, with the youngest being 8 months old. Some children travel alone, to be reunited with relatives. These deportations violate the child’s right to be with family. As a principle, children should not be deported, as their rights hold true no matter where they came from, or how they arrived at their destination. “Under these conditions, a child is a child no matter why they leave, where they come from, where they are or how they got there.” [UNICEF]

Similarly, not enough is being done to secure migrant children’s rights to education. In Trinidad and Tobago, the government allowed the registration of migrants from 31 May 2019 to 14 June, 2019. This registration allows children access to schools. While this is commendable, hundreds of migrants with children who flock to Trinidad illegally were not considered, and at present time, there are tens of thousands of undocumented migrants with children. These children have no access to schools, and are therefore suffering from irreparable loss to their schooling. In addition to this grim outlook, those children in schools are facing isolation and alienation because of the language barrier that exists. Most educators in the primary school system speak English. Since Venezuelan children are Spanish speakers, they are unable to overcome this language barrier.

Even though great strides have been made to solidify children’s rights in the Caribbean, for these violations to occur in such a brazen, carefree manner, is a backwards step as we all need to remember that “We owe it to the children to secure them a future”. [Peterson]

Migrant status aside, children remain children with rights. Not only in Trinidad and Tobago, but globally, leaders need to work tirelessly to identify these issues, and implement feasible, long-term plans to grant these children the rights to which they are entitled. In our efforts, we must remember that migrants are still people, and we must ensure that they have a tomorrow to which they can look forward. Venezuelan children are children with rights, and government leaders need to understand why these children left, and their experiences. They need to secure protection and well being for them during transit, and durable solutions, integration, return and resettlement needs to be looked into. Let us not forget the saying, ”We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.”

References:

Doodnath, A. (2021, February 15). Mental health issues rising in children due to COVID-19, says expert. Loop News. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://tt.loopnews.com/content/mental-health-issues-rising-children-due-covid-19-says-expert Ghouralal, D. (2020, December 13). 11 Venezuelans drown during journey to T&T. Loop News. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://tt.loopnews. com/content/11-venezuelans-drown-during-journey-tt

Hunte, C. (2020, March 2). Little Venezuelan girls being sold in T&T: Cops not doing enough, says activist. Trinidad Express Newspapers. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://trinidadexpress. com/newsextra/little-venezuelan-girls-being-soldin-t-t-cops-not-doing-enough-says-activist/article_ 3ff05d6a-46a3-11ea-a1e8-37c81bb22797.html

Kissoon, C. (2022, February 6). High Street Horror. Trinidad Express Newspapers. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://trinidadexpress. com/news/local/high-street-horror/article_ 84d349b4-86e9-11ec-9217-43235de9b42b.html

Office of The Prime Minister - Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. (2019, May 11). Venezuelan Registration Policy Gets Green Light. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.opm.gov.tt/venezuelan-registration-policy-gets-green-light/

Surtees, J. (2019, April 26). Venezuelan refugees feared drowned en route to Trinidad. The Guardian. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www. theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/25/venezuelan-refugees-feared-drowned-trinidad-boat-sinks

Woodbrook club raided: 5 children among 29 females held. (2020, February 11). Trinidad Express Newspapers. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://trinidadexpress.com/newsextra/woodbrookclub-raided-5-children-among-29-females-held/ article_a9222e4a-4ce2-11ea-b68d-2b5ad6844c7a. html