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Venezuelan migrants, who were recently deported, arrive at shore on Los Iros Beach after their return to the island, in Erin, Trinidad and Tobago, November 24, 2020. Lincoln Holder/Courtesy Newsday/Handout via REUTERS

Caribbean countries and Venezuela share a rich history that stretches back to colonial times when Venezuelans migrated to work in sugarcane and cocoa plantations on the islands. The Caribbean has been recognized for embracing those who seek better opportunities, celebrating its racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity as a defining feature of its culture. But now the relationship with Venezuelans is being put to a test as more than 5.4 million Venezuelans have fled the turmoil in their country since 2015, with 4.6 million of these remaining in neighboring Latin American countries and the Caribbean. The Caribbean was already struggling to keep up with this influx of migrants before the spread of COVID-19 increased the risks even further. The need for a comprehensive response is more critical now than ever.

On November 23, news outlets reported that a group of thirteen Venezuelan migrant adults and sixteen children were deported from Trinidad and Tobago back to their home country in wooden boats despite dangerous weather conditions. These migrants arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on November 17 and were detained upon arrival. Although the group was supposed to have a hearing in front of local courts, they were forced to leave before their appearance. This incident drew international attention when the deportees boat did not arrive in Venezuela as expected. The international community, including the Inter-American-Commission on Human Rights, has urged the government of Trinidad and Tobago to strictly observe the duty of special protection of (children and adolescent) migrants and to consider their best interests in all decision that affect them.

The deportees returned to Trinidad and Tobago after three days on turbulent waters, were rescued by locals in Cedros, detained in a local police station, and granted an emergency court hearing blocking a second deportation. The children will be placed in a mandatory quarantine for two weeks before being released into the custody of their parents or released along with their parents. While their short-term fate quickly changed, their future remains uncertain. Watchdog organizations like Amnesty International have reported dozens of Venezuelan deportations from Trinidad and Tobago, exemplifying that this latest development is not an isolated case. Amnesty International argues that to deport Venezuelan refugees back to the human rights and humanitarian emergency that they were fleeing, in the middle of a pandemic, is an outrageous violation of the obligations that Trinidad and Tobago has committed to under international law.

Per the Response 4 Venezuelans Platform, supported by the UN Refugee Agency and International Organization for Migration, there are approximately 195,800Venezuelan migrants and refugees in the Caribbean, with the Dominican Republic bearing the brunt of the crisis with 114,500, followed by 24,000 in Trinidad and Tobago, and 17,000 in Curaao and Arubanearly 10 percent of the countrys population. It is likely that there are more migrants in these countries who are unaccounted for and who fear deportation. Contrasting official numbers, local nongovernmental organizations estimate that there are 40,000 Venezuelan migrants and refugees living in Trinidad and Tobago.

Given the small territory and population size of these island nations, the flow of migrants is disproportionately impacting their societies, and it is testing the weight of their institutions and resources, while also enhancing domestic issues like inequality and poverty. As Trinidad and Tobago is only seven miles off of the Venezuelan coast, many Venezuelan migrants arrive through illegal sea embarkations. Those coming to Curaao, Aruba, and the Dominican Republic enter through official ports of entry, where visas are required, or through unauthorized locations. Approximately 10 percent of these migrants hold regular migratory status, suggesting that the majority work in under-the-radar jobs in the food services and hospitality industries where they can fall prey to labor exploitation.

With most countries in the region enacting strict quarantine measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Venezuelan migrants livelihoods were upended by shutdowns, increasing their food insecurity and housing vulnerability. More than 90,000 Venezuelans have returned to their country by land from Colombia and Brazil with an unknown amount from the Caribbean. These unprecedented times have caused thousands of Venezuelans to be stranded in the Dominican Republic and Curaao awaiting humanitarian charter flights that have been limited due to Venezuelas airport closures and restrictions on international flights. Nevertheless, a charter flight was sent to Oranjestad in September to repatriate a group of Venezuelans who had been in the country for months. Meanwhile, non-governmental organizations, such as Living Water Community in Trinidad and Tobago, Fundashon Sal pa Tur in Curaao, and local diaspora organizations, are assisting migrants with health screenings, language immersion courses, and food and housing.

Latin America and the Caribbean has been one of the hardest hit regions by COVID-19, with cases upwards of 6 million, with very high numbers in countries like Aruba, the Bahamas, and Saint Maarten. The pandemic is putting at risk decades-long progress in employment, education, and health services. In the wake of such challenges, the international community should work alongside its Caribbean allies through multilateral institutions by offering them debt relief and restructuring packages, which will ensure these countries economic recovery and growth, and strengthen their resilience for future shocks and disruptions. This support, coupled with political will, can have a direct impact on migrants integration and socioeconomic inclusion. Migrants will be able to give back to their host countries through acquired knowledge and skills that will be re-injected into the economy. Caribbean and Latin American nations also need to reinforce their commitment to abide by international law and uphold human rights.

Even a country like Colombia, which has much more absorptive capacity, has seen significant social and economic strain from the migration crisis; the burden on small island states who lack the resources, personnel, and infrastructure needed to address this complex issue is even more severe. The international community must address the concerns of these nations, and grant necessary assistance through the International Organization of Migration (IOM), the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in coordination with the worlds single-largest funder for the Venezuelan migration crisis, the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The Caribbean and Venezuela are inextricably linked and the international community must not ignore the pleas of these nations who are on the frontlines of this emergency. But most importantly, the world must not turn its back on the humans that are most affected by this crisis, those who have fled the terrible economic and social collapse in Venezuela.

Angela Chvez Keri is an assistant director in the Atlantic Councils Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center.

Beatriz Godoy Rivas is an intern in the Atlantic Councils Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center.

Wed, Nov 25, 2020

On repeated occasions, President-elect Biden has characterized Colombia as the keystone of US foreign policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean, maintaining that, if elected president, restoring the alliance between the United States and Colombia will be among his top foreign policy priorities.

New AtlanticistbyCamila Hernandez and Daniel Payares-Montoya

Thu, Aug 13, 2020

Introduction By Diego Area and Domingo Sadurn Two months after the internationally recognized interim government marked its first year, Venezuelas humanitarian crisis, the worst ever in the Western Hemispheres modern history, entered a new phase. The coronavirus pandemic, which has rattled even the most developed nations, is further straining a crippled health system already unable []

Issue BriefbyDouglas Farah

Continued here:
Boats over troubled waters: Caribbean nations struggle with response to Venezuelan migration crisis - Atlantic Council

Dec. 3, 2020

In the book The Role of EU Agencies in the Eurozone and Migration Crisis- Impact and Future Challenges, written by Dr.Johannes Pollak,Professor of International Relations and European Politics at Webster Vienna Private University, as well as a senior research fellow at the Vienna Institute for Advanced Studies, andPeter Slominski,assistant professor at the Department of Political Science/Centre for European Integration Research at the University of Vienna, examines how different EU agencies function during times of crisis management.

Through thecase studies of the Eurozone Crisis and the European migrant crises, authors managed to outline how EU agencies can shape policy during and after crises, and how their accountability is affected by the crisis.

This book provides a wealth of empirical material to understand key aspects of EU governance including its plurality of actors and policy-making modes and its functioning during crisis management. Authored by legal scholars and political scientists, it presents new research and insights on the role of EU agencies in the context of the Euro and migration crises.

Specifically, the contributions assess why the crises have led to the creation of new EU agencies and what roles these agencies have performed since their inception; how the crisis, notably the migration crisis, has impacted on existing EU agencies; how EU agencies have shaped the policies during and after the crises; and, how the crisis has affected the accountability of EU agencies. This book is essential in understanding the intricacies of EU crisis management and the specific role of EU agencies therein, as well as EU governance more broadly.

The book can be ordered viahttps://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030513825

tags: global, vienna,

Read more:
The Role of EU Agencies in the Eurozone and Migration Crisis - A New Book by Our Director, Dr. Pollak - Webster University Newsroom

On the Canary Islands, the new wave of migrant arrivals is becoming a real challenge for the archipelago's long-standing culture of hospitality. The islands have been hit hard by the economic crisis that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, and is now facing the biggest migrant influx since 2006.

Alicia Surez works at the local television station of the Canary Islands, Radiotelevisin Canaria. The journalist is seen waiting on the quay of the port of Arguineguin to film the departure of a bus transporting several dozen migrants to their accommodation center.

The date is Wednesday, November 25. Since the beginning of the week, more than a thousand migrants from Morocco and West Africa have landed in the archipelago of the Canary Islands, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This brings the number of arrivals in total up to nearly 20,000 since the beginning of the year -- breaking previous records.

That day, however, Alicia Surez and her cameraman are the only journalists we see on site, except for one Spanish photographer representing a news agency. The atmosphere is strangely quiet, considering that thousands of migrants have passed through this quay in previous weeks and months. Many even camped out on the quay for weeks, as the government scrambled together a response.

Read more: Record number of 2,200 migrants arrive on Canary Islands on one weekend

"At the beginning of the crisis, many people arrived here without identification papers. But now, some come with papers because they know that this will eventually allow them to continue on their way," she told InfoMigrants, highlighting the face that the Canary Islands are regarded as a transfer point by most migrants, who actually want to reach continental Europe.

According to Alicia Surez, hostility towards migrants is increasing, while at the same time, the coronavirus pandemic continues to deprive the Canary Islands of tourists -- the main source of income for two million people who live across the archipelago of seven islands.

"Many people here don't have jobs. And some believe that the migrants will deprive them of government benefits, which is why racism is on the rise. There are a lot of videos being shared on social media that claim that migrants arrive here with the coronavirus, stay in hotels, and enjoy the swimming pools. But this is not true at all. All migrants are tested, and the pools are off limits to them."

Suarez adds that "we have forgotten that we ourselves are a people of emigration," referring to the history of the Canary Islands as the starting point for the search of the American continent.

Read more: Spain's Canary Islands still a magnet for migrants

There are about 15 hotels on Gran Canaria that presently accommodate migrants. They are paid 45 euros per migrant per night, according to Tom Smulders, head of the Canary Islands Hotel Federation. Some people are against this practice, he says, even though the population needs the money in the absence of tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alicia Surez says that attitudes differ between the north and the south of the island, where the majority of hotels are located. At the capital, Las Palmas, in the north of the island, the presence of migrants is less visible. "Last week, buses left for Las Palmas with migrants. Residents arrived with water, food and clothes to welcome them. The feeling there is different, as its a big city of 400,000 inhabitants."

Read more: Second camp set up on Canary Islands to ease first reception pressure

In Las Palmas, we meet Jos Segura Clavell, who worked as a lawmaker for the PSOE Party in neighboring Santa Cruz de Tenerife for almost 20 years. Today, he heads the Casa Africa, an organization designed to promote intercultural dialogue between Africa and the Canary Islands.

In 2006, during the previous wave of mass migrant arrivals, he was entrusted by the Spanish central government to manage the crisis that has since become known as "des cayucos", named after the boats in which more than 30,000 people landed on the islands 14 years ago.

According to Jos Segura Clavell, in 2006 "Spain was very actively involved in its decision-making, especially in terms of striking bilateral agreements with several African countries. The army responded from one day to the next. Within a week, a large camp was opened here in Las Palmas designed to house around 2,500 to 3,000 migrants. The judges were also very quick to react: In most cases, they were able to issue a repatriation document within 72 hours," he told InfoMigrants.

This time around, however, the coronavirus pandemic has prevented deportation, as the central government in Madrid continues to refuse the dispatch of special flights to take undocumented migrants to the Iberian Peninsula -- as was the case in 2006.

Read more: Babacar's story: 'I arrived in Spain, but I have not yet reached my destination'

For Jos Segura Clavell, the root causes of migration have not changed since 2006. The thing that the two crises have in common are "hunger, despair, violence, and the search for a better life," he said.

Bu the level of empathy among Canary Islanders may not be the same today as it was then, he explains. Many feel overwhelmed by COVID-19 and in particular the economic hardship caused by the pandemic. Others seem to agree and theyre not always Spanish:

Nourdine has been living in Las Palmas for 20 years, where he has been working for a shipping company that transports products between Africa and the Canary Islands. Originally hailing from Mauritania, he looks at the current development from a different perspective: "What worries me the most is that this latest wave is happening at a bad time," he told InfoMigrants.

"Everyone is suffering because of the situation with COVID-19. We suffer here, we suffer in Africa. There is this mental image there that here, life is paradise. But it is not paradise. It's a nightmare for everyone."

Read more: Back to Mauritania: Frontex repatriates migrants arriving on Canary Islands

Nourdine is 38 years old. He lived through the crisis of 2006, and stresses that "the two situations are not the same. In 2006, the economic situation was not the same. We were not stuck in a moment of distress and high alert. I think that plays a certain role. People simply were happier. They weren't locked up at home all the time. Their minds were a bit clearer," he said.

"We all want to be treated as human. But what do we do if we can't afford it?"

Nourdine originally came from Nouadhibou, the economic lung of Mauritania. In the years since his migration to the islands, he was legally able to study there -- something that was perhaps out of reach for him back home.

"We can't just keep signing agreements between two countries to send migrants back and forth. That's basically a game of ping-pong."

The record year of 2006 also saw the creation of the Federation of African Associations of the Canary Islands (FAAC), which brings together some fifteen associations from Guinea, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria and the Gambia. Its president, Mame Cheikh, tells InfoMigrants that they "try to ascertain the needs of migrants, to facilitate the administrative work they face, and to help them according to their needs."

"When they arrive, we have to help them with their overall sense of orientation. Some people don't even know that theyre on an island. They think they can just take a bus to go to Madrid".

The Senegalese man says that his association has been distributing meals since the beginning of the pandemic, as many African families living in the Canary Islands have lost their jobs -- especially since many work in the informal sector.

He has also noted a rise in racism and xenophobia: "We are not in a normal situation. There is a sense of frustration that we have to live through each day. So, we do feel guilty about migration," he explains.

"But everyone talks about immigration and the arrival of young Africans. We only see the arrivals, but not the deaths at seas. Those who lose their lives cannot speak. There are families who don't know where their children are. If you went to Senegal right now, youd see that everyone there will know someone from near or far who died in this crossing."

Maurice Dupont arrives at the FAAC premises just as Mame Cheikh wraps up his observations. Dupont works as a physiotherapist in a hospital in Las Palmas and is here to offer his help. He has been living in Gran Canaria for 35 years, and in the last decade, has been assisting French-speaking migrants admitted to hospital. In particular, he offers his help in translating between French-speaking migrants and Spanish doctors. He says he wants to help wherever he can.

"When they arrive, I also ask them if their families are aware that they are alive. And if not, I help them contact them. Before, no one had a telephone. But now, with WhatsApp, it's much easier," he told InfoMigrants.

Maurice Dupont is also involved in helping FAAC with distributing clothes and garments to migrant, which -- due to the ongoing coronavirus situation -- has been a rather difficult undertaking in recent months, he explains.

We return to the small town of Arguineguin, where a mass is due to take place, highlighting the plight of migrants. Father Adrian from Germany is there to officiate the service.

About a hundred worshipers are seated on the benches listening to the priest, while an overhead projector shows images of migrants and rescue operations at sea. Father Adrian brings a Moroccan immigrant to the mass to share his story with the public.

The young man's name is Rachid. He is 20 years old, and came to the island from Agadir three years ago -- by boat. By now. Rachid speaks fluent Spanish, and is currently training in the hotel and restaurant business.

With a protective mask on his face, he begins to speak, but the poor quality of the sound system makes it difficult to understand what he tries to say. But that doesn't matter, according to Father Adrian; the important thing is to "show a face."

Juan, a resident of Arguineguin, says he admires the young man's courage: "He told us how his life was in Morocco. It was a very hard life. His family apparently sent him to Europe thinking it was the best thing they could do. But the reality of it turned out not to be so simple."

Juan doesnt ordinarily go to church; he says he is only a Catholic on paper. "But it breaks my heart to see on television what is happening in Arguineguin, Italy, and all over Europe. People here are divided, some are against migrants and others want to help.

"Meanwhile, the same thing keeps repeating itself over and over again. We cannot keep our eyes closed."

Read the original post:
Migration on the Canary Islands: A convenient scapegoat for social problems (Part I) - InfoMigrants

New York

As so-called essential workers fight for their rights on the job, they continue to be the most reliable fighters for COVID safety, PPE and a rational response to the pandemic.

New York laundry workers and supporters rally on Nov. 25. (WW Photo: Toni Arenstein)

From healthcare workers in California and Washington State, to nursing home workers in Illinois, to school bus drivers in Ohio, workers are striking, fighting back and organizing while COVID numbers increase exponentially and the White House ignores the crisis.

In New York, the front lines of this fight include the ranks of laundromat workers, 95 percent of whom are women and migrants. Their fierce struggle against workplace racism and exploitation now includes demands for PPE and proper ventilation.

On Nov. 25, the International Day of the Prevention of Violence Against Women, six migrant workers organized by the Laundry Workers Center launched a union drive at the Manhattan laundromat Wash Supply.

Dozens of supporters came out to support the launch of this campaign, including Workers Assembly Against Racism, Street Vendors Project, Food Chain Workers Alliance, City University of New York (CUNY) Internationalist Club and local clergy.

The Workers Assembly Against Racism (WAAR) had pledged at their most recent meeting to support this campaign. Held on Nov. 21, the assembly included reports from workers active in the New York teachers struggle; an activist involved in a strike authorization vote by CUNY teachers; an official with the Transport Workers Union; and a report on the upcoming Nov. 25 action by the Laundry Workers Center.

WAAR was formed in October, in the wake of a righteous call by trade unionists to conduct strikes and work stoppages against racism, with the purpose of expanding that call from the ranks of organized labor about 10 percent of the workforce to the rest of the workforce. Many unorganized workers take part in Black Lives Matter protests. WAAR activists have asked: Why not unite the anti-racist movement with the workers movement?

This focus includes supporting cutting-edge workers struggles. So on Nov. 25, WAAR sent ten of its members, many of whom have participated in the Black Lives Matter protests, to support the launch of the organizing campaign at Wash Supply, a campaign for workers rights as well as a fight against racism and sexism.

The laundromat is located on the upper west side one of the most expensive places to live in New York City, the center of world capitalism.

That wealth does not translate into decent wages for laundry workers. In fact, the workers at Wash Supply, all women, face intensified exploitation. They are paid below minimum wage. They work 60 hours a week with no overtime pay, no paid sick days, and no COVID safety precautions. They work under atrocious health and safety conditions in a tiny basement with no ventilation, no heat in the winter, no emergency exits and no PPE. The workers have even been forced to buy their own toilet paper just to use their workplace bathrooms.

Even taking an hour to eat lunch is a struggle, which is why the workers used their first full lunch hour on Nov. 25 to deliver to their bosses demands for a union, better conditions and better pay.

After a raucous protest that met in a nearby playground and then marched to the front of Wash Supply, the workers, all wearing the same color T-shirts and aprons stencilled with the words WE ARE THE UNION, went into the workplace to deliver their demands to the employers. They were joined by supporters from the rally, who jammed into the tiny basement behind the workers, overflowing onto the small stairway leading down to it.

One by one, the workers approached and confronted their boss to tell them they wouldnt accept humiliation, abuse or exposure to COVID any more. One worker said to her boss, When Im having lunch you come to us and tell us to stop and get back to work. Were sick and tired of this and we dont want to take it any more! The supporters standing behind her and her coworkers cheered.

The turnout made it clear to the bosses that these six workers had community support. The need for this was obvious. The manager held her cell phone up while being confronted by the workers, making it clear she was videoing them. One of the main rally slogans, The community is watching on signs and chanted by the protesters let the bosses know that any retaliation for the workers demanding their rights would be met with swift fightback.

A rally announcement by Laundry Workers Center leaders served to back up that promise. Rosanna Rodriguez announced to the crowd that one of the LWCs other campaigns the Justice for Beatriz Campaign, at the New Giant Launder Center in Queens resulted in victory, with the worker involved recovering stolen wages and returning to her job with better working conditions.

See the original post:
Migrant workers tell bosses: Were fed up with racism, COVID and exploitation! - Workers World

Any Venezuelan nationals found entering the country illegally will be deported.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley made the declaration during an interview on CNC3s The Morning Brew on Tuesday.

Further, those registered under the migrant registration process last year, if found to be assisting other Venezuelan nationals to enter Trinidad and Tobago illegally, will be deregistered and deported.

The Prime Minister noted that even as migrants continue to come to the country illegally, Government will not be holding another registration exercise.

He reiterated the governments stance on the matter.

"We have not taken a decision to register more Venezuelans. What we have also done, and the policy still stands at the time of registration if you were not among those who were registered who were here, who have come in over a period of time, if you were not among them and you turn up in Trinidad and Tobago, we will exercise our right to deport you. But, of course, it is on a case by case basis."

Rowley said Government took a humanitarian approach in having a registration exercise to allow Venezuelan nationals to live and work in T&T for a period of a year but the handling of the situation cant be based on an emotional response.

He said the country is doing what it can as it continues to treat with the migrant crisis.

Go here to see the original:
PM to illegal migrants: 'We will deport you' - Loop News Trinidad and Tobago