00:00Over time, people are deported from countries, including the United States.
00:05But with the Donald Trump administration taking a different approach
00:08and conducting deportation exercises en masse, TNT can potentially see an influx.
00:14In March, 11 TNT nationals were deported from the U.S.
00:18And then on May 24th, 17 more were deported.
00:21Of that number, three were detained.
00:24As some among the population expressed concern,
00:26strategic security expert Gavin Hira believes the reality now facing the country
00:31is not one to be taken lightly and should be dealt with holistically.
00:36This is a critical national security and social integration issue for Trinidad and Tobago.
00:42Deportees, especially those returned for serious criminal offenses like homicides,
00:48human trafficking, sexual offenses, gang affiliation,
00:50they would pose complex challenges that, as we know, would straddle the domains of public safety.
00:56Human rights, integration and rehabilitation.
01:00Hira says effective programs surrounding these areas must be considered by the authorities,
01:05such as the ministries of Homeland Security and Defense, among others,
01:09and are crucial in moving forward.
01:11Deportees with serious criminal backgrounds may return to Trinidad and Tobago
01:15with deep-seated anti-social behavior, may be involved in criminal networks,
01:21or just maybe, you know, trauma victims.
01:25And without intervention, there's a risk of recidivism.
01:29There's a risk of gang recruitment and destabilization in what we know as vulnerable communities.
01:35But Hira notes that cycles can be broken and reforms made through proper reintegration.
01:41He outlines that this can be beneficial to the country in areas such as the promotion of public safety,
01:47an increase in productivity and economic growth.
01:51He's of the view that it should push past policy and head into a legislative framework.
01:56So, yes, programs should be mandatory for this category of deportees,
02:00particularly in their initial six to 12 months of the return.
02:04This mandatory status should be supported, hopefully, by legislation under national security,
02:11homeland security, that is, or immigration reforms.
02:13Hira points to a multilayered approach to monitoring.
02:17Among his recommendations, the use of a centralized deportee unit for registration,
02:22mandatory vetting, psychosocial evaluations upon arrival,
02:27and further to that, a tiered system of high-to-low-risk deportees,
02:31with those deemed high-risk, being closely monitored.
02:34There should be community-based supervision, you know,
02:38assigned probably like a community reintegration officer,
02:41similar to what a parole officer would do.
02:44And there can be bi-weekly check-ins with random home visits for high-risk cases.
02:49And we cannot dismiss also the technological integration,
02:52use of electronic monitoring, for instance, for a period,
02:56you know, ankle bracelets for high-risk deportees.
02:59He also believes intelligence data-sharing agreements from the country of deportation
03:04should be part of the plan.
03:06Hira outlines strategies from international models.
03:09CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy, and that is for those with violent or sexual offenses.
03:14Anger management plays an important role, addiction counseling and trauma-informed care.
03:20You know, things like employment skills.
03:22In this regard, Hira says,
03:24the non-governmental organizations can be utilized in some aspects,
03:28as well as faith-based organizations for spiritual and psychosocial support.
03:33At the end of the day, they are our citizens,
03:36and we must ensure that the right duty of care is applied.
03:40Hira sees it as an opportunity for TNT to develop a good working model
03:44that is transparent and can be beneficial across CARICOM.
03:49Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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