Escaping Immigration detainees now a nat’l security issue — Fahie
Numerous detainees have escaped the clutches of private security officers and police in recent months after they were placed under guard mainly at two hotels in the capital city of Road Town.
While some of those detainees have since been recaptured, others continue to remain at large.
“It is a national security issue now of deep concern and I can’t say all that has been discussed, but there are some measures discussed that are going to be put in place,” the Premier stated at a press conference last Friday.
However, Premier Fahie indicated that these measures have not been discussed outside of the National Security Council (NSC), and said they remain confidential.
The Premier further related that millions of dollars continue to be expended to house Immigration detainees in compliance with international human rights conventions and explained that it would be a violation for them to be held in prison.
I can’t speculate
Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Vincent Wheatley said he could only speculate on the reasons for the troublesome issue.
“I could only speculate, but I don’t think that [Hotel] Castle Maria, where most of them tend to stay, was designed for as many persons as we tend to get sometimes,” Wheatley expressed.
“Apart from maybe their regular customers, we may have 30-something persons in there with various conditions. I imagine it’s a security challenge for police officers or the security companies to be able to manage. I cannot say why they’re escaping,” Wheatley stated.
Minister Wheatley said investigations are being conducted into why the escapees continue to happen.
They are not animals
He also told reporters that the government spent a considerable sum of money on the detainees in recent months.
“The figure I saw recently was around a million dollars,” Minister Wheatley said. “These things do cost us. Because if there are court hearings, if there are medical situations, the security situation, accommodations, food, [the government has to foot the bill].”
He added: “We must feed persons that are held in captivity because of the international conventions we are a part of. They are not animals, they are human beings still. We have to treat them with a certain level of dignity which does cost taxpayers of this country.”
“We have to move towards a detention centre,” the minister further said.
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Its nothing strange, neither are the detainnes, you who the coyotes are, you yourself are Natinal security employees, its about large sums $ there is the key
hey you got customs task force to secure and protect us now , just put them on the case , no problem for them look at the amount of charter boats they captured ? ?
I have a very simple solution. Once their nationality has been established the same day they’re captured put them on the next available flight immediately back to their country. This is also a humane solution.
Am I missing something here, I thought that it was illegal to enter any country without proper documentation, and if caught the person would be held in some kind of facility whether a jail, camp, etc. but not treated like a common criminal.
However, compare the price of a plane ticket versus food accommodation, security, etc. per person and decide which is cheaper. You be the judge. Unless this situation is handled properly we are just waiting for something serious to happen.
Don’t make yourself stupid because you know who has the key, your cousin
Detention center my Foot – we know where these ppl are heading —- simple — Do Not intercept them —- any assistance should be —FOOD. WATER. FUEL. let them go on their merry way —- Have Customs escort them out of Territorial waters AND save the millions in repartition;— I see this as a Win /Win situation —— whenever there are Drugs confiscated on the water the IS. COAST GUARD goes with that BUT we always get the detainees/ immigrants It have people Smarter than I am working in these Agencies — and making Policies
Lock them up at Her Majesty’s Hotel (Prison)
why don’t you just write into your contracts that the security firms will pay $1000 per day that any escapee is free? Or is that unfair on them….?
where else in the world youre a part of human smuggling and get put up in a HOTEL?
THIS MUST BE A BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP HERE.
send them back and let the government of their country pay us back and they can get back their money from them or jail them ( instead of wasting our taxpayers money ? ?
They keep tighter security when you in the no smoke zone. When in sorrow harass people and now you have criminals and your eye blind. Just know we always rise up. What a co-inkidink. wink wink.