– Government currently addressing issue

IN a remarkable display of kindness, love, empathy, and generosity, the residents of Leguan Island have opened their hearts wide so far as providing practical assistance to the Venezuelan migrant population on the northern end of the island in communities like Doorn Haag, Uniform, and Richmond Hill.

Residents in these parts, according to Regional Chairman Inshan Ayube, are not wealthy. Yet, they’ve willingly lent support to the groups of people in the form of food, shelter, and clothing.
“Residents took them in their yard space; accepted them….I cannot express how nice I felt at seeing this. I couldn’t feel better at their response. We are taking this country in a direction of humanity,” Ayube expressed during an interview with Pepperpot Magazine.

Ayube visited the location in the company of NDC Chairman Laachman Dwarka, Vice Chairman Jainarine Singh, Parliamentary Secretary attached to the Ministry of Agriculture Vikash Ramkissoon, two businessmen from the West Coast, and other supportive personalities.

The island has seen an influx of migrants from Venezuela over the past few months and residents have supported the estimated 50 persons of varying ages as much as they can through housing and provision of food, etc.

This is reportedly a social issue for the island that is engaging President Irfaan Ali and other Ministers.
Meanwhile, the Regional Chairman said he was acting on instructions from the government to pay a visit to the area, analyse the situation there, and see what temporary relief could’ve been offered to the folks. He was subsequently successful at putting together food, footwear, groceries, and other necessary items that he said would last the migrants three to four weeks.
According to him, they have also identified two buildings that the migrants can occupy once the necessary approval is given.

Furthermore, Ayube has also discussed with Regional Executive Officer Jagnarine Somwar and Regional Health Officer Erica Forte about the possibility of having a medical team pay a visit to the group, ever cognizant of the need to also protect the residents of Leguan.

Meanwhile, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – the leading United Nations entity in the field of human rights – has noted that an estimated 281 million people, approximately 3.6 percent of the world’s population, currently live outside their country of origin, many of whose migration is characterised by varying degrees of compulsion.

According to the UN office, an increasing number of migrants are forced to leave their homes for a complex combination of reasons, including poverty, lack of access to healthcare, education, water, food, housing, and the consequences of environmental degradation and climate change, as well as the more ‘traditional’ drivers of forced displacement such as persecution and conflict.

“While migrants are not inherently vulnerable, they can be vulnerable to human rights violations. Migrants in an irregular situation tend to be disproportionately vulnerable to discrimination, exploitation and marginalisation, often living and working in the shadows, afraid to complain, and denied their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Human rights violations against migrants can include a denial of civil and political rights, such as arbitrary detention, torture, or a lack of due process, as well as economic, social and cultural rights, such as the rights to health, housing or education. The denial of migrants’ rights is often closely linked to discriminatory laws and to deep-seated attitudes of prejudice or xenophobia,” the UN office further stated.