Unemployed, unable to access proper health care and education, often mistaken for prostitutes and exploited by unscrupulous persons who force them to accept less than minimum wage when they do secure work.
These are only some of the complaints from several non-nationals who are currently seeking asylum in T&T.
According to local experts, there are over 600 refugees currently living in T&T.
Requesting anonymity, 28-year-old Sofia* who is seven months pregnant cried as she spoke of the difficulties persons like her now face.
Fleeing her native Venezuela in search of a better life, Sofia came to T&T 15 months ago and has suffered one setback after another.
Grateful to have found safe shelter as she eagerly awaits the birth of her first baby, Sofia admitted her local experience has been “complicated.”
Agreeing to share her story as part of a Refugee Awareness Workshop for Media Practitioners hosted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at Bretton Hall yesterday, Sofia acknowledged it was normal for T&T to introduce stricter laws for people like herself who continue to flock to these shores for aid and refuge.
Revealing she and her husband were able to enter the country on a tourist visa, Sofia said it was difficult to secure employment without a work permit while the language barrier was another impediment.
“It has not been an easy experience,” she testified.
Grateful to have her husband back at her side now as the pregnancy progresses after he was locked up at the Immigration Detention Centre, Sofia admitted they were ignorant of how to go about applying for asylum when they first arrived in T&T.
However, she credits the Living Waters Community (LWC) for their assistance in helping her survive.
Declaring that she and her fellow Venezuelans did not wish to become a burden on T&T but wanted a fair chance to work and earn their keep, Sofia is set against returning to her native country for fear of persecution.
Wanting to positively contribute to T&T’s future, Sofia appealed to the authorities to introduce the necessary legislation to help refugees enjoy a better quality of life in foreign jurisdictions.
While it was a similar tale told by Frederico* whose family has been living here for the past six years, he said in their case, their lives continue to be stagnant as they simply exist on a day-to-day basis.
Unable to work, drive or attend school/university, Frederico said he was forced to watch his friends back in Venezuela complete their studies, get married and embark on their own lives while he and his family continue to beg the local authorities for regularisation status.
Although his family received approval within five months of applying for asylum, the lack of legislation has prevented them from doing much else as the matter has now officially been stalled for the past three years.
Hungering to make an economic and cultural contribution, Frederico said his sister wants to study nursing and can be an asset to the local economy.
However, as she has been denied an opportunity due to her lack of national documentation, he said they simply wait with hope that the UNCHR and the LWC can assist in improving the situation.
Frederico’s accent betrays the length of time he has been in the country as the ‘Trini twang’ can be detected in his speech.
Claiming T&T was a nice country with welcoming arms, he too agreed that it was not easy being a refugee here.
Vastly different from the accounts of Sofia and Frederico, was that told by Pakistani couple Mohammed* and Aisha* who are parents to three young children who have all been enrolled in local schools.
With the aid of the UNHCR and the LWC, Mohammed who works for a well-known international organisation described their experience in T&T as “very good.”
Acknowledging the local crime rate, Mohammed said they were forced to flee terrorism in his native country in search of a better life.
Referring to Trinidadians as a “blessed people,” Mohammed expressed hope that crime in this country could be solved one day.
This was echoed by his wife Aisha, who said they had experienced a vastly different reaction from the authorities even though they had only been in country just over a year.
They agreed each case was different as Aisha said they had been able to obtain work and school permits, as well as open bank accounts and transact business as part of their daily lives. She ended, “We are very relaxed even though we are refugees.”
Hopeful that her three young children will soon be able to enter the public school system, Aisha said at the moment they were attending private institutions but this would change as the family anxiously await further word from the authorities as to their status in T&T.
