Opposition Leader wants illegal Venezuelans involved in crime deported

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar Tuesday vowed to take “aggressive action” against all illegal Venezuelan migrants of her party is victorious in the next general election should the Venezuelan migrant community fail to assist the police in identifying their compatriots who are engaged in criminal activities.

“Today I make it clear, if the Venezuelan migrant community do not get their act in order and desist from engaging in criminal conduct, begin assisting the TTPS (Trinidad and Tobago Police Service) in identifying Venezuelan criminals and integrate peacefully into our society, my incoming government will take aggressive action against ALL illegal Venezuelan migrants and deport every one of them to their homeland by any means necessary,” she said in a statement.

Persad Bissessar’s statement follows what she said is the death of Winston Thomas, a member of her Siparia constituency, south of here, who she claims had been “terrorised and murdered by illegal Venezuelan migrants”.

She said that on a daily basis there have been reports of violent crimes being committed by illegal Venezuelan migrants against Trinidad and Tobago citizens, and accusing the Keith Rowley administration of standing “idly by”.

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Persad Bissessar said that Trinidadians have been tremendously generous in accepting Venezuelan migrants over the last few years.

“They have been accepted in our schools, given free health care, benefit from subsidised water, electricity and fuels, are allowed to open businesses and use all public amenities that are paid for by the taxpayers of this country.

“These migrants pay no taxes on income, no national insurance, no health surcharge and therefore out compete locals for jobs as employers seek to cut labour costs,” she said, adding that her United National Congress (UNC) “has repeatedly called for a clear migrant policy to be implemented by the state, but none has been articulated by the government to date”.

She said that the illegal Venezuelan migrants have a clear choice to make, “either peaceful law-abiding habitation in our country or deportation, there is no middle ground”.