Caribbean News Service (CNS).
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Mar 25 2016 – The Jamaica government says it is probing allegations that two of their nationals were ill-treated on their arrival in Trinidad and Tobago and reminded Jamaicans that there is a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Complaints Procedure which may be used to ensure that nationals who have been denied entry, detained or mistreated at the ports of entry of other CARICOM states.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in a statement, said it had taken note of the reports made in and to the media about the alleged ill-treatment of Jamaicans recently denied entry to the oil–rich twin island republic.
It said that although it has received no formal complaint on the reported incident, it wishes to advise concerned members of the public that the Trinidad-based High Commission has brought the media reports to the attention of the Trinidad and Tobago Immigration Department and will also meet with the Ministry of National Security there and Caribbean Airlines in relation to the complaints.
It said that the High Commission “expects to be provided with a report once the necessary investigations have been completed, and we will be advised accordingly”.
In the meantime, Kingston is advising its nationals that they could lodge complaints with the CARICOM office established for that and may also file a formal complaint with the Ministry on return to Jamaica.
“The complaint forms are available on arrival at the airports in Jamaica. Once a complaint is received, an investigation is conducted with the relevant authorities in the CARICOM country concerned; and Jamaicans may also make reports directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade,” the statement added.
In 2013, the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) awarded Jamaican Shanique Myrie pecuniary damages in the sum of BDS$2,240 and non-pecuniary damages to the tune of BDS$75,000 after she had taken the Barbados government to court alleging that when she travelled to that CARICOM country on March 14, 2011 she was discriminated against because of her nationality, subjected to a body cavity search, detained overnight in a cell and deported to Jamaica the following day.
Myrie also claimed that she was subjected to derogatory remarks by a Barbadian Immigration officer.