PORT OF SPAIN: 6TH JUNE, 2022
Senator the Honourable Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs and Her Excellency Evelyn Wever-Croes, Prime Minister of Aruba and Minister of General Affairs, Integrity, Energy, Innovation, and Government Organization both underscored the importance of cooperation between allies in addressing shared challenges such as the Venezuelan migrant crisis. These views were expressed during a virtual meeting between the two parties on 2nd June, 2022.
The Meeting between Minister Browne and Prime Minister Wever-Croes served to discuss the countries’ shared challenge of the Venezuelan migrant crisis, given their geographical proximity to Venezuela, and facilitate the exchange of experiences and measures to treat with this issue.
During the meeting, Minister Browne outlined the efforts of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to address the crisis, including the re-implementation of a Visa requirement for Venezuelan nationals, a Migrant Registration Framework and close collaboration between the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and the Guardia Nacional in the interdiction of illegal trafficking in arms, narcotics and persons. The Minister also recognised the support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration and several Non-governmental Organizations such as the Family Planning Association and the Living Water Community. He added that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, these migrants have access to vaccines and for those wishing to return to Venezuela, the Venezuelan authorities made arrangements to facilitate their voluntary repatriation.
The Prime Minister of Aruba noted that there were similarities between her country’s response and that of Trinidad and Tobago with regard to the Visa requirement for nationals of Venezuela, the migrants’ access to COVID-19 vaccines and humanitarian repatriation flights to Venezuela. She highlighted her Government’s focus on the provision of education to migrant children through their access to special classes that facilitate the teaching of Dutch to prepare them for integration into the mainstream education system. She further remarked that although the closure of the Aruba-Venezuela border had contributed significantly to a decrease in the influx of migrants from Venezuela, discussions were ongoing with Venezuelan authorities on the possible reopening of the border, to allow the flow of air and maritime traffic between the two countries.
The meeting ended cordially with Minister Browne and Prime Minister Wever-Croes reaffirming their commitment to advance substantive dialogue between the relevant stakeholders in both countries on this matter and other issues of mutual importance.
