Should illegal migrants be sent back to Haiti or allowed time in the VI?
Belizer Azaria, a boy suffering suffering from cholera symptoms, is treated at a cholera clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Dec. 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias)
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Since the tragic boat crash involving illegal migrants occurred during the wee hours of Monday morning December 6, where eight persons have so far been found dead and 25 survivors have been caught, many have been expressing their opinions as to what immediate measures should be taken to deal with the situation on hand.
Douglas Wheatley, host of Speak Out BVI, which was aired last evening live on ZBVI radio, noted that migrant trafficking is a major international security problem.
He further stated that the Virgin Islands may not have necessarily been the destination of the illegal migrants and noted that while a lot is being done to stop such lucrative trades, more force will have to be used to curb such human smuggling.
Wheatley threw the question out to the public last evening, asking whether the Virgin Islands should repatriate persons to a country where they are facing a cholera epidemic with over 2000 deaths recorded so far, and some 92,000 have been sicken from the disease, where poverty is prevalent, and natural disasters ravage the struggling island.
Wheatley wondered if the illegal migrants are in good health whether the VI can help them until they “catch themselves” before repatriating them. The Government has since reported that the illegal migrants have shown no signs of cholera.
A caller on the programme pointed out that it will be very expensive to send the bodies back to Haiti, which is even more expensive than sending a living person, and added that such matters are indeed very costly to the Government.
“This is a burden and drain on anybody’s economy for this sort of nonsense. It is sad,” said the caller. He asked in a joking manner if the migrants could not have been employed at the Greenhouse Project at Paraquita Bay.
On Tuesday morning, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force which included Police investigators, St. Maarten law enforcement officers and representatives from Her Majesty’s Customs, Immigration and the Ministry of Health met and discussed several issues relating to the matter.
Some of the issues discussed were provisions for immigrants to connect with families in Haiti or in St. Maarten and to receive health and other welfare accommodations and preparations for repatriation of bodies and survivors. At that time, the Police were arranging for a meeting with members of the BVI Haitian Association.
So far, the illegal migrants are being held at the detention centre at Balsum Ghut.
11 Responses to “Should illegal migrants be sent back to Haiti or allowed time in the VI?”
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They should be allowed to remain until things is cleared up in Haiti. We should as a people have compassion on our caribbean brothers and sisters who lost everything including they families during the earth quake and now is face with this disease that is killing everyday. Have compassion BVislanders all these people need is a safe place to put their heads and to be strong. They have suffered enormously, have mercy people of the BVI. and remember we are all God’s people.
This traggic accident that could have been avoided just because of some who needs to get rich at any cost even human life.
BVI should let them stay as you will never know when it will be our turn!
This is not a fair question!!!!!!! While the BVI is known for its humanitarian ways, the reality is, we cannot afford this as the biggest secret in Town is the government is BROKE BROKE
Send them the hell home we aint no refugee camp
see who has skills that we can use in the work force and keep them, then deport the rest! end of story
the BVI does not have the capacity and the social fabric to deal with these people. The only good option is to return them to their homeland. Countries with more resources than us, eg, USA, Canada, Bahamas etc, do not want them, so why should we?
Send them back home. We are not the United Nations. We barely have infrastructure or jobs for our own people. We are already over run.
Get them better and healthy and send them back. We can not make them our problem. We then set a precedent and in 3 months EVERY boat from will be trying to come here because they know we won’t send them back.
Plus who knows what contagious illnesses they are bringing. Cholera is widespread in Haiti and other countries. Some of these people may not have full blown cholera, but the virus might be just starting in them and wont show itself til next week. All of a sudden we have a cholera outbreak here.
We did our part to help Haiti. We sent food, clothes, medicine, water and even our own medical personnel and disaster people. We don’t owe anyone anything.
Its sad, but we must send them back, in the best interests of our own people.
If the ndp get in next year and they build their elite and class system some of you all will have to run again to the USA, and St. Thomas, so stop being so mean and selfish to the Haitians. We never know when we may have to run our selves…….
Have an adoption drive to see legitimate families in the BVI who can take them in. If all cannot be taken in then simply send the rest home. This is the most practical solution.
The government will do whatever it wants anyway on this mater, so why express my opinions?????
does anyone know if there is a haitian association in the BVI?