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British ban due to foreign drug mules
Foreign Minister:
Juhel Browne jbrowne@trinidadexpress.com
Saturday, July 12th 2008
'drug trafficking problems': Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon fields questions during yesterday's media conference at Knowsley Building, Port of Spain. Looking on is Information Minister Neil Parsanlal. -Photo:STEVE McPHIEDrug mules caught in the United Kingdom with Trinidad and Tobago passports are the main cause of the British government's proposal to have all this country's nationals apply for visitor's visas, says Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon.
She said this situation would materialise if the situation is not significantly addressed within the next six months.
Gopee-Scoon then disclosed the British government said Jamaicans were among those from "a number of Third World countries" who were illegally entering the United Kingdom using Trinidad and Tobago travel documents, but said the Immigration Division is now analysing travel data to determine how bad the problem really is.
"Immigration Division is not aware of the extent of the number of Jamaicans who are using fraudulently obtained Trinidad and Tobago passports as alleged," Gopee-Scoon said.
Just last month, however, two Tobagonians, Owen Alfred and Oswin Moore, were extradited to the United Kingdom to face drug trafficking charges.
Gopee-Scoon made no mention of those extraditions when she spoke on the issue during a news conference at the Foreign Affairs Ministry's head office at Knowsley Building, Queen's Park West, Port of Spain.
Gopee-Scoon was responding to a statement delivered by United Kingdom Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in the British House of Commons on Thursday, on the proposed visa regime.
Contacted yesterday, British High Commission political and press officer Brett Bulling said of Gopee-Scoon's comments regarding drug trafficking, "It is obviously a very bad problem, otherwise Trinidad and Tobago would not have failed the Visa Waiver Test. So it is a big concern."
Gopee-Scoon confirmed yesterday that she had met with British High Commissioner Eric Jenkinson on Wednesday to discuss the Visa Waiver Test, and had also received a letter from United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary David Miliband.
"They have highlighted certain problems related to drug trafficking in particular, as against the general business of crime. What they, in fact, highlighted was the business of drug trafficking and also immigration, the fact that a number of Third World country nationals are illegally entering the UK via Trinidad and Tobago," Gopee-Scoon said.
The Express, however, reported yesterday that Prime Minister Patrick Manning had received correspondence from Miliband and Smith on the issue earlier this week.
Asked why she did not address the issue at Thursday's post-Cabinet briefing, Gopee-Scoon said, "We knew it was going to be released to the UK Parliament and it was every bit of our intention to say something to you earlier. However, as you know, Thursday morning is Cabinet and... we visit our respective constituencies and so on in the evening, but while that was going on, let me assure you the Minister of National Security was working, began work with the Chief Immigration Officer to, in fact, look at the threat, the statistics which has caused the UK to look at us in this manner."
Gopee-Scoon will be flying to the United Kingdom next week to attend the long-planned Sixth United Kingdom-Caribbean Ministerial Forum, which is to be attended by Miliband and the foreign ministers of several Caribbean countries where security issues will be addressed
Foreign Minister:
Juhel Browne jbrowne@trinidadexpress.com
Saturday, July 12th 2008
'drug trafficking problems': Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon fields questions during yesterday's media conference at Knowsley Building, Port of Spain. Looking on is Information Minister Neil Parsanlal. -Photo:STEVE McPHIEDrug mules caught in the United Kingdom with Trinidad and Tobago passports are the main cause of the British government's proposal to have all this country's nationals apply for visitor's visas, says Foreign Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon. She said this situation would materialise if the situation is not significantly addressed within the next six months.
Gopee-Scoon then disclosed the British government said Jamaicans were among those from "a number of Third World countries" who were illegally entering the United Kingdom using Trinidad and Tobago travel documents, but said the Immigration Division is now analysing travel data to determine how bad the problem really is.
"Immigration Division is not aware of the extent of the number of Jamaicans who are using fraudulently obtained Trinidad and Tobago passports as alleged," Gopee-Scoon said.
Just last month, however, two Tobagonians, Owen Alfred and Oswin Moore, were extradited to the United Kingdom to face drug trafficking charges.
Gopee-Scoon made no mention of those extraditions when she spoke on the issue during a news conference at the Foreign Affairs Ministry's head office at Knowsley Building, Queen's Park West, Port of Spain.
Gopee-Scoon was responding to a statement delivered by United Kingdom Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in the British House of Commons on Thursday, on the proposed visa regime.
Contacted yesterday, British High Commission political and press officer Brett Bulling said of Gopee-Scoon's comments regarding drug trafficking, "It is obviously a very bad problem, otherwise Trinidad and Tobago would not have failed the Visa Waiver Test. So it is a big concern."
Gopee-Scoon confirmed yesterday that she had met with British High Commissioner Eric Jenkinson on Wednesday to discuss the Visa Waiver Test, and had also received a letter from United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary David Miliband.
"They have highlighted certain problems related to drug trafficking in particular, as against the general business of crime. What they, in fact, highlighted was the business of drug trafficking and also immigration, the fact that a number of Third World country nationals are illegally entering the UK via Trinidad and Tobago," Gopee-Scoon said.
The Express, however, reported yesterday that Prime Minister Patrick Manning had received correspondence from Miliband and Smith on the issue earlier this week.
Asked why she did not address the issue at Thursday's post-Cabinet briefing, Gopee-Scoon said, "We knew it was going to be released to the UK Parliament and it was every bit of our intention to say something to you earlier. However, as you know, Thursday morning is Cabinet and... we visit our respective constituencies and so on in the evening, but while that was going on, let me assure you the Minister of National Security was working, began work with the Chief Immigration Officer to, in fact, look at the threat, the statistics which has caused the UK to look at us in this manner."
Gopee-Scoon will be flying to the United Kingdom next week to attend the long-planned Sixth United Kingdom-Caribbean Ministerial Forum, which is to be attended by Miliband and the foreign ministers of several Caribbean countries where security issues will be addressed
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