Death of a Venezuelan infant during sea crossing exposes shortcomings in Trinidad and Tobago’s refugee policy · Global Voices
Coast Guard vessel built in Portsmouth for Trinidad and Tobago, similar in appearance to the vessel that was on patrol in Trinidad and Tobago waters on February 5, 2022. Photo by navylookout on Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0.
Close to midnight on February 5, a Trinidad and Tobago coast guard vessel, the TTS Scarborough, was on a routine patrol along Trinidad's south coast. A Venezuelan boat had crossed the border — not unusual against the backdrop of the South American country's political and socioeconomic turmoil and resulting humanitarian crisis — but what happened next was anything but routine.
According to the coast guard's official statement, its crew sent a smaller boat to intercept the Venezuelan vessel, which reportedly tried to “ram” the launch, despite the “standard protocols” of loudspeakers, ship's horn, searchlights and flares being employed. Warning shots were fired, allegedly aimed at the vessel's engine. When it eventually stopped, coast guard officials discovered Venezuelan asylum seekers on board, including a mother, <PERSON>, and her nine-month-old son <PERSON>, who had been crouched in the rear of the boat, close to the engine. The infant had been shot in the head, and died in his injured mother's arms — a tragedy for which the coast guard extended condolences.
The incident has caused an outcry from human rights groups. In a joint statement, the UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said they were “deeply saddened” by the news. Dr. <PERSON>, Joint Special Representative of UNHCR and IOM for Venezuelan refugees and migrants, added:
Nobody should have to lose their life in their search for safety, protection and new opportunities […] This incident highlights the plight faced by people on the move during desperate and dangerous journeys to safety.
With a mere 11-kilometre stretch of water separating the island of Trinidad from the Venezuelan coast, asylum seekers from the South American country often make the close but hazardous crossing in search of a better life. Millions have, thus far, fled the country over fears of economic hardship and violence, thousands of them to Trinidad. 1019
The large number of arrivals prompted the government of Trinidad and Tobago to move towards regularisation, registering asylum seekers in order to offer them documented status and legitimate job opportunities.
The policy, however, has come under criticism for being “incomplete.” The 2014 national policy to address refugee and asylum matters is not being implemented, thereby causing asylum seekers and people with UNHCR refugee status to be treated as undocumented migrants. Once the registration process ended on June 14, 2019, anyone wishing to enter Trinidad and Tobago from Venezuela required a visa.
Since then, the Trinidad and Tobago government has been holding fast to its position. In November 2020, then minister of national security, <PERSON>, defended the country's deportation of 16 Venezuelan minors and 11 adults prior to a habeas corpus hearing, saying it was part of his remit to protect the country, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is a stance that the UNHCR joint statement addressed, saying:
In the absence of sufficient safe pathways, many Venezuelan refugees and migrants are forced to resort to risky sea and land crossings, that have become even more complex as travel and health restrictions limit formal paths of entry. Pathways for entry and stay should be consistent with international human rights law and humanitarian considerations and include access to due process and procedural safeguards.
The infant's death has reignited concerns about Trinidad and Tobago's approach to refugees and asylum seekers, with newspaper editorials, members of the local migrant community, and Venezuelan president <PERSON> himself, calling for proper investigations into the incident. National security minister <PERSON> has since said this is being done, albeit by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Coast Guard themselves. Prime Minister <PERSON> has called the baby's death “an accident.”
<PERSON>, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, noted:
No migrant child should ever die, whether traveling with their parents or alone. No mother wants to put the lives of her children at risk on a small ship in the deep sea, unless she has no other option. Two in three Venezuelans on the move are women and children. This tragic event is a stark reminder that they are the most vulnerable among the vulnerable. They deserve special attention, protection and safety — anywhere and anytime. 271