(CNC3)
Pregnant and desperate to go back to her homeland, Sheniequa Lewis is begging National Security Minister Stuart Young to help her.
Lewis, 21, is a national of Antigua and Barbuda who came to Trinidad to pursue a course at the T&T Hospitality and Tourism Institute in September last year. She went back home in December and came back to T&T pregnant with her first child.
Determined to finish her course despite her pregnancy, Lewis said she expected to graduate well before her pregnancy ended in September.
But in March, the course was cancelled because of low student turnout. COVID-19 restrictions kicked in and Lewis said she made preparations to return home.
Her flight was booked for March 30 via Caribbean Airlines, flight number BW0458 but on March 22, the T&T borders were closed.
Holding back tears, Lewis said she remained hopeful that repatriation would come but as her pregnancy advanced she started to lose hope.
Several letters were written to Minister Young and to Everly Paul Chet Greene, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade & Immigration in Antigua and Barbuda, Lewis but there was no response.
To make matters worse, Lewis’ travel documents expired on June 22.
“I don’t know what else to do. I am appealing to anyone to help me,” she said.
She also said further health complications have added to her misery.
“I suffer from scoliosis (a condition characterized by a sideways curvature of the spine) so it is very painful for me. I get terrible pains to my back, hip and leg. I need to get treatment at home. I usually go to a doctor in Antigua for therapy but here I have no access to therapy,” Lewis cried.
Saying she was thankful to receive monthly checkups at the Debe Health Centre, Lewis said all she wanted was to be back home with her family.
Saying she was terrified that the borders will remain closed and she will be forced to have her baby in T&T, Lewis said she was praying that Minister Young could arrange for her to go back home.
She also said her medical history and records are all in her homeland so she did not want to have the baby in T&T.
Asked whether she has applied for an extension, Lewis said she contacted the Immigration Division and was told by a spokesperson that extension of stays was being granted only to those whose documents had expired before or on April 30. She said she had to wait until her documents were expired before she could apply for an extension.
With regard to an application for exemption, Lewis said the Ministry of National Security indicated in a press statement that only requests made by nationals and permanent residents of T&T were being considered on a case-by-case basis. She said she submitted all her information inclusive of a biodata page of her passport to the Ministry.
She is now hoping that the Ministry could advise her on how to proceed and organize travel arrangements for her to go back home.
Efforts to contact Minister Young for comment proved futile as calls to his cellular phone went unanswered.
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Utter carelessness on her part! I await the bashing! I am covid free!
What is this lady doing being pregnant all the time and bragging about it?
Where is her ‘husband’?
Something doesn’t seem right about this story….
It said clearly that this was her first child, regardless even if it was her 10th that has no bearing here. Also what does a husband have to do with this situation. Empathy and simple common sense is all that is needed here, she is a stranded national that needs assistance since borders are closed and she’s appealing to her government.
Chupzzzzzz she just looking for sympathy and a free ride home. Trinidad borders are closed so what she want the government to do send for she one gwan go have your Trini baby.
Would you want to remain in, much less have a child in CRIME-RIDDEN, WICKED, MURDEROUS Trinbago? I hope the young lady gets to leave that shitty place.
She r*hole knew her travel documents were going to expire but still stayed down there. She r*hole knew borders were closing but she tap dung dey. Now she r*hole want government fu bring she home? She better tap down dey and hab she Trini pikney.
Free ride? Did you you read the article? Some of you all so damn stupid. Her flight was booked for March 30. It got cancelled. Can you trust a flight? And to Chupz. Did you read the article? Her flight was booked. It got cancelled. How is that waiting till her passport expire? You all just love notice eh? Gosh you all are some unsympathetic fools. I hope none of you all ever find yourself in a difficult situation. Dam clowns you all are.
Antigua officials do nothing to help there citizen in distress, It’s disgraceful. Chet Greene you suck!
We helped out citizens from the DR come back home and they brought with them coronavirus. Tell them to quarantine and what do they do? We know all too well.
First of all, why would she travel to Trinidad in December, knowing her passport or travel documents would expire in June? Most people have about 6 months to a year on their documents before going any place. It was just careless on her part.
If that country where she is, is closed , what can our government do? Let’s be reasonable. Sensible is saying Antigua government does nothing to help Antiguans but if there is an Antiguan in every country, should we go and get them???? If there are 2 Antiguans in st Lucia should we send a plane for them? If there are 2 Antiguans in Aruba , should we send a plane for them too?
This lady needs to get home .. however she can .. not to sound mean but again… let’s be reasonable.
Whenever the borders open you need to find your ticket back to Antigua. It is not the responsibility of the government of Antigua to bring every Antiguan around the world back here.
Antigua doesn’t have a program to bring home Antiguans who are overseas and are now broke.. it just doesn’t!
Yes. It is the governments responsibility to look out for its citizens. So to answer your question, if there are 2 people in St. Lucia who wants to come home, it is the governments duty to get them home. It may not be expedient to do at the moment, but IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. And I just wish people would stop saying and insinuating the lady is looking a free flight. She got to Trinidad, which means she must have had a return passage booked, i.e. her return trip was already paid for. The article clearly says she had a flight booked for March 30. How does that translate to her being broke? I’m convinced that it is the same idiot making these baseless and senseless statements. We can’t have so many backward and clueless citizens. Reading comprehension is paramount. It’s all good to be able to read, but reading without understanding is futile. Do better.
Once the borders re open, isn’t her family able to help her get a ticket back home? There is no way my family would leave me stranded.. why do we have to beg the public for assistance. And now having baby .. smh
Again, the lady has her ticket. Please read the article.
She is not “begging” a ticket.
Sweet girl you just have to wait till the borders for trini open. Did she say her stuff expired in june?! Some of these comments are crazy. Yall say the most!
Something about her story don’t seem right. Why when you are pregnant would you go to a forigen country with expiring travelling documents. Smells like she wanted to stay in Trinidad to have the baby but things did not work out so she wants to come home.
What a set a mean people. Have no empathy for ordinary Antiguans. We starting to sound and behave like the leader of the country. Its like being heartless and lacking human decency are traits to celebrate. Lets pray the young lady stays safe and this stressful situation doesnt complicate her situation.
Why all the negativity. Smh
Didn’t you read what she said.
At a time like this and in the vulnerable position she is, how can people be so heartless!! The details don’t matter, she needs help, support and the compassion and grace of her country. Antiguans when did we become so callous and uncaring? What if it were you or your best friend?
Girl they were always like that.
if some a you idiot tek the time fuh read the story you wouldnt asked the questions. but since not everyone can read and understand it is not our duty to explain it to you or make you understand
read property ppl the child don’t want in nothing u dounce ppl the child have her ticket to come home she na ask are u for help all she is doing is pleaded to the trini government to let her come out some a are u on here can’t read and understand tall that’s y Lester min say ANTIGUA IS NOT A READING PUBLIC
Sooooo true
All who have somthing to say about my comments can kiss my black 🍑 I said what tf I said. She can tap dung dey and hab she trini pikney and tap look free ride home.
MS. mention leave St Lucia out of you ras mouth.you have no sympathy for the young lady.she is in an island where she has no family.weather she knew that her passport would be expired or not.she is strand and wants to return home.do you see a problem with that.judge no one you are not God.i am pretty sure that one day your rass get stranded you would look for help to.some of you all only talk shat.no heart.no 💘 no peace.all you choose war over peace.what has the young woman done to you.put yourself on her place.fool
😄 ha ha ha.Dunlop couldn’t have said it better myself.you are a bright scholar.i don’t understand what is going on in the world these days.no love at all..no understanding I am sure some of dose people do not know her.i myself don’t.but my God.she is pregnant and strand.if you all can do something to help her do that.but don’t bash her.wow wow wow.lord have mercy.what is wrong with some people.instead of judging her.put you all self in her shoes..stop all the hate.stop all the negativity.come on.choops.lord help the young lady to get through.
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