Grenada to deport 15 Haitians

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CMC – The Government of Grenada announced Monday that they would deport 15 Haitian nationals who entered the island as a group of tourists on Sunday.

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, who is also the Minister for National Security and immigration, told a news conference that the French-speaking nationals had arrived on a flight from neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago.

“So, the immigration officers in their normal routine checks were able to ascertain to make the determination that in fact, they will be a charge on the public purse if they were in fact permitted to enter the state,” said Prime Minister Mitchell, noting that the decision was based on the amount of cash in the possession of the Haitians when they arrived.

He said that because Haiti is a member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) grouping, there are very specific and limited grounds that can be used to prevent a Caricom national from entering a member state.

“One of which is a charge on the public purse and the second will be in broad terms, national security risk, in this case, it was purely on the basis of a charge on the public purse,” Mitchell said, indicating that the Haitians were unable to stay in a hotel for at least one night.

“If you are not a citizen of Grenada and you come to Grenada, you can only be staying at a hotel for at least one night unless you have a friend or family, and in the absence of friends or family it means that you have to be able to afford a hotel at least for one night,” he said.

“If you don’t have cash or credit card that allows you to afford a hotel for one night, it means you don’t have a place to stay, and if you don’t have a place to stay and we let you into our community what is going to happen, it means we as a state will have to take care of you,” he concluded.

Grenada is hoping to send them back on Monday night.

Mitchell acknowledged that the political and economic situation in Haiti will be discussed at the three-day Caricom summit to be held in the Bahamas starting Wednesday.

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11 COMMENTS

    • To use a one day rate of a hotel to be a benchmark that a tourist should at least have their possession is ludicrous.

  1. For the attention of the Head of the Immigration Department Officer.

    Dear Ms Yearwood,

    As you can see, Grenada 🇬🇩 has decided to take action against those who have overstayed their welcome.

    Autochthonous Antiguans would like to see you do the same as soon as possible. The long delay in doing similar action has made your position virtually untenable.

    Hopefully, you’ll take note of the Grenadine authorities deportations.

    SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE AND ASK THEM HOW THEY DID IT SO QUICKLY …

    Regards

    From a very concerned autochthonous Antiguan

  2. Send them back where? To Trinidad? Certainly not to Haiti. Can’t some charitable organization sponsor them or some kind of job be found for them like even farmers. After all they are Caricom nationals. This is what happens to a country when law and order breaks down because of corruption by government officials.
    Haiti has not have a democratic government since Papa Doc rule the country as a dictator with enforcement by his criminal gangs. America’s hands are not clean. The Haitians don’t deserve what is happening in their country. They need peace and stability.

  3. This is truly amazing. Antigua landed tons of West Africans in the country under the disguise of “tourists” and now offering over 637 of them legal status and the right to live and work here. They are non Caricom members. 15 Haitians in Grenada, they are Caricom members and obviously running from the strife and chaos in their home land. Yet they are being deported from a sister Caricom country. Sad how we treat our own.

  4. Dickon Mitchell not playing and he is showing Gaston Browne how a real leader acts. Gaston has been hiding behind Melford and Chet on the African Airways human trafficking issue rather than handle it like a real leader. Maybe we need Dickon Mitchell to come to Antigua and handle the African issue for Gaston. These Africans came through immigration with no money and no hotel or accommodation reservations but yet they were not deemed to be a charge on the public purse. On top of that, 90% of the Africans refused to return home on the return flights. How are they not a charge on the public purse? Gaston is a weakling leader!! Come eeeeeen, Dickon!

  5. Perhaps they went to Grenada in error, I suspect after the news of the 900 African made the rounds I am almost certain it’s Antigua they were heading….
    It does not matter your criminal history, mental state or financial situation cone to Antigua all are welcome except the natives of Antigua.

  6. Haitians are not ‘rejects’.

    PM Mitchell – in your Caricom meeting, when you discuss Haiti, as a matter of urgency please press for Haitians to be given ‘right of movement and employment’ as if Haiti was a full member of Caricom.

    They will then be subject to same requirements as the rest of us, but it will give some the legal right to travel, be safe, work hard, earn and send remittances to assist family and loved ones.

    Also, please discuss the precise definition of ‘ refugee status’ throughout Caricom.

    Caricom island people love to talk about supporting our black brothers and sisters, yet all too often that comes with a caveat ‘ Not In My Back Yard’.

Comments are closed.