BVI, UN strengthen ties as migrant crisis worsens
The BVI and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have pledged to strengthen engagement as the Caribbean sees a steady rise in irregular migration alongside an increase in asylum cases and the number of refugees in neighbouring regions like Latin America.
Irregular migration has been increasing in the Caribbean which is the second most disaster-prone region in the world, regularly hit by natural and human-induced disasters.
In the past, neighbours from places like Haiti and Venezuela have arrived on the shores of the BVI seeking refuge from disasters that have hit their countries.
However, it is not clear how many refugees the BVI is currently hosting.
BVI Special Envoy Benito Wheatley and UNHCR Regional Representative for the Caribbean Matthew Reynolds recently held discussions on the challenges irregular migration poses to the Caribbean.
Among other things, they discussed the economic, social and legal issues involved in addressing the plight of irregular migrants who have been displaced or are fleeing violence and instability in their home countries, including the availability of additional financial resources by Caribbean governments to effectively respond.
UNHCR representatives provided an update on the state of play of asylum seekers and refugees across the subregion and emphasised the need for greater social protection, especially for women and children.
The UNHCR representatives also reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to strengthening engagement with the BVI as a host country of a refugee population.
Wheatley said, “the British Virgin Islands welcomes UNHCR’s deepening engagement with the government on irregular migration, asylum case management, and refugee matters, and looks forward to discussing further the assistance the UN’s refugee agency can provide to support ongoing efforts regarding refugees currently on island.”
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These Wheatley are really functionary of white hegemony, of course the UN will work assiduously with you to keep out black migrants like Haitians or who ever is black, then juxtaposition that on the Ukraine blue eye blonds that was taken into the USA , Haiti has the same position of a war and they are not taken in. When you and your brother ready you spout colonialism crap and independence when you are a coconut brown outside and white inside, and carry out white function, the onliest function I am confused of you with is those parties you holding.
The French and obeah are responsible for the current state of Haiti. God wouldn’t smile on Haiti until they stop their practice of obeah. We have enough problems of our own.
Please tell us what exactly the UN will do to help the BVI with its illegal immigration problem.
Will the UN jet arrive every week to take the illegals away? Will UN troops patrol the borders from their UN ships to stop the illegals at sea? What can the UN do for the BVI??
This article appears to be a photo op with a few useless paragraphs that resolves nothing.
These Wheatlie boys always running off to the UN, etc. spending our taxpayer money with no mandate. “Special envoy” for who? BVI is not a real place.
You cannot give a decent main road from
EE to Road town how are you going to help
…. Only bring more problems for the BVI
Fund money to psy the Govt electrical bill
And open back the clinics
We are going over an abyss of this trend continues with this premier