THE VISA BAN FOR HAITIANS

The Turks and Caicos Islands government has imposed a six-month moratorium on visitors' visas for Haitian nationals citing an upsurge in crime and an influx of illegal immigrants as part of a list of reasons for the decision.

On Thursday, January 12, 2023, Minister of Immigration and Border Services, Hon Arlington Musgrove announced in a statement to the media that the decision was made to protect the territory's lawful population. The moratorium, which took effect from the date of announcement, will remain in place for the next six months and is subject to review. What are your thoughts?

A necessary decision

There is a tragedy in Haiti. The TCI cannot fix that, and risks being overwhelmed as Haitians flee to a prosperous neighbour. For now, overpopulation by impoverished migrants is the immediate threat.

TCI also has severe political challenges arising from the strange privileges attached to citizenship. If the TCIG blunders and undermines prosperity or the rule of law, which protects non-citizens from excess brutality, then we will suffer our own collapse.

Apartheid always leads to collapse and tragedy. Stay aware!

What aboutother nations?

There ought to be a moratorium on Filipinos and Canadians and Dominicans and Jamaicans and South Americans.

The Minister needs to provide statistics stating work Permit holders and the country from where they originated from.

Turks and Caicos isn't for Turks and Caicos Islanders anymore. It is for the highest bidder.

Long overdue, but poorly thought out

A great idea, and long overdue.

But now that we are trying to stem the inflow of Haitians who often go to ground in an attempt to overstay their welcome, when are we going to start a concerted effort to get rid of all the ones that are already here illegally?

Closing down and demolishing the “Yards” would be a good place to start, but why does the political will seem to be lacking? Could it possibly have anything to do with the connected Turks Islanders who profit from these squalid accommodations?

There is a certain complicit policy in place that would allow illegal immigration in this country. A public policy has emerged from the Office of the Governor seeking to award, bless and reward persons from all other nations other than the TC Islander. The allowing and condoning of immigration adds to that narrative. The Governor’s position is at odds with the official position of all elected TCI Governments since 1976, the take from the Leader of the Opposition and the public at large.

The consensus is that the TCI never wanted and needed illegals in the country. It seems, however, that to assuage their attempts to free the UK of centuries of racism, the Governor and the UK want the TCI and its people to pay that price.

They do so by encouraging and providing for the illegals in the TCI by the Office of the Governor. As a result, previous Governors have resisted efforts to stem the flow of illegal immigration into the TCI. It is now in this day and age that something is finally being done. The illegals took these islands for many years now. They and their children form part of today’s TCI society; they can be found in the public service, schools, banks and everywhere.

The Convention on the rights of the Child mandate that Government provide for them in schools and access to additional social services. The case has never really been made that the UK Government, the entity providing policy feed to this phenomenon, pays for these issues.

It is a “domestic issue”. The efforts taken by the current minister are all too late and really after the fact. It is knee-jerk, illthought out and a reaction to an ongoing crisis.

This moratorium will not last, it will be lifted by way of illegal entry and the illegals will continue to come.

Band-Aid on a bullet wound

As long as this Governor remains incumbent, efforts will continue to be made to let them in. This moratorium sanctioned by the Minister is not equal to the forces that want the illegals in the TCI. Haiti is now a failed state and people must leave out of necessity because there is virtually no government. Regionally, governments from CARICOM need to develop an immediate initiative to have a regional force take Haiti and turn it around.

It should be led by CARICOM as they have the most to lose and are proximate to the reality of the breakdown in Government there. Food is not secure and one cannot determine which gang is military, governmental or rogue. They must leave Haiti and seek “relief elsewhere”.

TCI is along the route. The hapless US President, Joe Biden gave them an invitation to come to the extent of 30,000 monthly. As such they are coming and TCI and the Bahamas are the immediate routes. US policy cannot help, cannot be trusted and is pro-illegal immigration.

Just look at the US Southern Border. Overcrowded vessels en route to the US will facilitate all of this and they will land in the TCI. TCI and its people will pay the price. The moratorium will not help as they have help locally between complicit immigration officers, their people on the ground, the Haitian Embassy and the Governor’s Office. They are being facilitated.

Put TC Islanders first

The Turks and Caicos Islander has long been removed and displaced in his own land. Illegals have taken over and this takeover didn’t begin with the current state of affairs in Haiti where there is “no government”. Builders, developers and resorts and those businesses in need of “cheap and subservient” labour will find a way to get around this decision. While that is going on the TC Islander is replaced in favour of a practice that accommodated illegals into these islands for ages. The real issue is how would any Government empower the TC Islander?

How can they continue to budget for illegals and take care of their own people? Can they avoid or refuse to budget for the illegal after he and his children are allowed into the islands and into the work force? They are paying NIS, NHIP and are here.

The minister's policy is designed to fight legals but what about the illegals? Vessels are still coming through. Radars seem ineffective. TCI needs to urge CARICOM to intervene directly into Haiti. Raise a global fund as the money is there and needs to be directed to Haiti.

If Haiti is not stabilised this will continue and "nothing the minister does" will be able to stop it. Meanwhile, the TC Islander continues to be removed.

Other access points

By stopping the airlines, you are actually forcing the affluent or even educated Haitian from coming to our shore, what are you doing for the desperate Haitians willing to risk it all through the dangerous journey via water?

How many can we really stop? How many per week reach our shores? When will the UK actually grant the needed funds to aid the situation?

Haiti’s war has become our war. We are in this together, the Haitians that migrated three decades ago, two decades ago, or even within the last ten years need to also speak out.

Haiti is a failed state, let’s try and protect our beloved Turks and Caicos Islands.

BY DELANA ISLES