‘Leave NOW while you still have the chance’ says MUSGROVE 

By Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, May 23, 2023 – In a National press conference described as critical, the Turks and Caicos Islands Government revealed it is stepping up efforts to combat illegal migration with a new multi agency framework dubbed OPERATION PURSUIT; at the forefront of the announcement was Arlington Musgrove, Minister of Immigration and Border Services.

Minister Musgrove brought the statistics for residents, revealing that the number of migrants in the first five months of this year have already eclipsed the total migrants from 2021.

• In 2021 there were 1426 irregular migrants repatriated from 23 vessels at a cost over of 3 million
• In 2022 there were 2132 irregular migrants repatriated from 28 vessels at a cost of over 4 million
• In 2023 (with only five months passed) there were 1921 irregular migrants repatriated  from 17 vessels with total cost pending.

“If we continue on this trend we are looking at an estimated 4494 persons to be repatriated from an estimated 36 boats.  This is unprecedented and it has serious social impact, financial pressure and implications for our livelihoods and our country,” Musgrove said.

The minister also revealed a concerning trend; pleasure boats are now being stolen and being funnelled into the illegal migration trade.   As for the islanders who were helping the migrants get in Musgrove said: “As custodians of this land some of us are directly contributing to this problem and we must stop it. It is distracting, frustrating, dangerous and a downright embarrassment to this country.”

He warned residents to be thankful to the international partners who stepped up to help the TCI in partnerships rather than speaking against them and maintained that the government would crush the pull factors that kept the migrants coming.

“I’m putting you my people on notice that we will not be entertaining any requests for leniency because when the government is not active you call for activity but when the government is active you cry that it is inhumane or an infringement on human rights or that you need the people though you have not taken measures to regularise their status here.  We are not doing it.” he promised.

He reiterated his commitment to justice firmly:

“If you are organising illegal migration, stop it.  If you are harbouring irregular migrants stop it.  If you are employing migrants illegally please for God sakes stop it.  We have no desire to see our people brought before the court or even behind bars but if you insist on selling our birthright or our children’s future– we will aggressively pursue you and you will be dealt with.”

He ended his speech with a strict warning to those living illegally in the country no matter if they had come by air or sea.

“Operation Pursuit will commence immediately and those who are here illegally and unlawfully are advised to leave NOW or risk being detained, repatriated or deported and put on the stop list from returning to the Turks and Caicos Islands.”