TRINIDAD and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says her country did absolutely nothing wrong in the deportation of 13 Jamaicans last week, the Trinidad Express reported in its online edition yesterday.
According to the newspaper, the prime minister's stance was taken following receipt of the official report from the Immigration Division that was presented to her by Security Minister Gary Griffith.
Until any further evidence comes forward, based on that report it appears we are in compliance with the law," the Express reported Persad-Bissessar as saying yesterday.
Despite her strong position, however, Persad-Bissessar has advised Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran to travel to Jamaica in order to have discussions with his "counterparts" to address the issue.
She has also signalled her intention to hold discussions with Trade Minister Vasant Bharath over the threat of a boycott of Trinidad and Tobago products in Jamaica, in response to last week's deportation.
"I have advised Minister Dookeran to accept the invitation, a letter of invitation came (yesterday) from Jamaica to Minister Dookeran and I have asked him to accept that invitation to speak with his counterparts there," Persad-Bissessar said yesterday after the official hand-over ceremony of the Arima Police Station.
The invitation to Dookeran from Jamaica's Foreign Minister AJ Nicholson came in the wake of 13 Jamaican nationals being deported after being denied entry into this country last week. The 13 Jamaicans were not allowed to leave the Piarco International Airport after landing there last week Tuesday, in breach of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which allows for free movement of Caribbean Community (Caricom) nationals among Caricom Member States.
However, the Express said Persad-Bissessar yesterday referenced the recent ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in the Shanique Myrie case to highlight this county's adherence to all rules.
Myrie had filed a lawsuit against the Barbados Government, claiming that on March 14, 2011, she was made to undergo a painful and humiliating body cavity search by a Barbadian border official upon her arrival at the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport from Jamaica.
Persad-Bissessar said following the CCJ's ruling in the Myrie matter Caricom issued some guidelines to all the governments of members states, but maintained that there are discretions that can be exercised by immigration officials.
