Activist encourages illegal migrants to register, exercise not a trap

2026-01-25 - 21:09

THE government’s decision to fast-track its migrant registration exercise has stirred confusion and fear among migrant communities, but Venezuelan human-rights activist Yesenia Gonzalez says the process should be understood for what it is – a temporary regularisation programme, not a trap. In a media statement on January 23, the Ministry of Homeland Security announced that the Migrant Registration Framework would begin on January 26, four days earlier than previously stated by Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander at a post-Cabinet meeting on January 22. Registration will take place at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima, the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva and the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago. Approved registrants will be issued a migrant registration card, legally authorising them to live and work in TT until December 31. The cost of registration is $700, and all illegal migrants are urged to register or risk deportation. In a WhatsApp message to Newsday, Gonzalez said the announcement led to widespread uncertainty about who qualifies, whether nationality matters, whether fees will be charged, and whether irregular entry or re-entry could lead to arrest or prosecution. Gonzalez, of the Themis Foundation of the Americas, said much of the public discussion was clouded by misinformation, and migrants were unsure whether the process constituted an amnesty or whether coming forward could expose them to criminal liability. She said, from a legal standpoint, the registration was not formally an amnesty, but its practical effect was similar. Unlike a true amnesty, it did not grant permanent residence or erase all past immigration breaches. However, it would temporarily suspend immigration penalties, allowing undocumented migrants to come forward without fear of punishment, receive official documentation and live and work lawfully for a specific period. “While the State avoids using the word ‘amnesty,’ the measure clearly functions as a temporary regularisation programme designed to bring undocumented migrants into a lawful administrative framework.” She stressed that eligibility was not determined by nationality. Any foreign national in TT without a valid immigration status could register if they had no serious criminal convictions and did not pose a genuine risk to public safety. This included Venezuelans, migrants from other Caribbean states and individuals from Latin America, Africa or elsewhere, including asylum seekers, recognised refugees and people who previously overstayed visas or lost status. Echoing Gonzalez’s assessment, Andreina Ventura-Brown of La Casita Hispanic Cultural Centre said the organisation was taking the registration process seriously, viewing it as an important opportunity for migrants to move out of risky legal situations and into protection. “La Casita Hispanic Cultural Centre takes this registration process very seriously, as it represents a legal pathway for migrants to remain in the country, work without fear, and be meaningfully included in the social and economic development of TT through lawful and productive contributions.” She said migrants were being encouraged to apply because regularisation reduces vulnerability and strengthens protection under the law, allowing them to access services, school, and to “contribute openly and responsibly to the country they now call home.”