Immigration staff say not all those based at the Port-of-Spain passport office have returned to work so operations at the office are still limited. The T&T Guardian spoke to one immigration officer who could not give a definite reason for the workers’ absence.
On Monday, when she was asked what services were being provided at the office, deputy chief immigration officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews had said: “It depends on whether there are officers on duty or not...we are trying to take care of the immediate needs and once we get things back on stream we will deal with those persons applying for passports for the first time.”
Asked how long it would take to return to normal operations, she said: “It depends on when officers come back to work and officers have worked hard in the past, ‘round-the-clock,’ to bring things to a place where passports can be issued within a few days.” Meanwhile, citizens visiting the Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain, office to get their passports continue to be disappointed and frustrated.
When the T&T Guardian visited yesterday, one woman said: “This is sheer nonsense. Since March I applied and everything is in order but they said nothing processed yet and this is the third time I am here.” Another woman said: “I applied May 5 but I didn’t bother to come because of what was going on but I saw things were resolved so I decided to come. “They told me to come back in a few weeks but I need my passport as a form of ID to open a bank account.”
Robert Torry said he applied last month but was yet to receive a definite answer on how long it would take. “We were told to come back in a month and we came and they said it’s not ready yet. I called the number that they gave me and it’s not in service. “You have to drive all the way to find out your passport isn’t ready. It’s just one big hassle after another,” he said.The situation was the same on Monday when the T&T Guardian visited.
“I came for my passport but they told me it not ready yet and I applied sometime in April. If you go anywhere to do business you need two forms of ID and I need my passport as a second ID,” a woman said. Ena Mendoza, happy to finally get her passport, said: “I feel relieved because I applied since December 20 in Washington and I had so much trouble they told me to come here. I’m here three weeks now and this is the fourth time I’m at the office.”
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Problems at second office
Foreign nationals in T&T are also experiencing difficulty in receiving immigration services. According to immigration staff the Moonan Building, Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain, which accommodated the Immigration Department that handled extensions of stay for foreigners, permanent residency applications, student visas and certificates of immigration status, has been closed for almost five months.
Tash, who didn’t want to give her full name, said: “I’m from Jamaica and I applied for residency almost two years now and my extension recently expired. “I have been trying since April to get my stay extended but nothing yet so I have to go back home because I don’t want to be illegal here.” Asked on Monday to comment on the status of the Moonan building, Gandhi-Andrews said: “We are looking at measures now to relocate that office and there are a few options.”
She said the services offered at the Moonan office were available at the San Fernando and Tobago offices.