Twenty migrants were transferred to Prospect Reef Resort last week after requesting political asylum in hopes of starting a new life in another country.
The 17 Cubans and three Haitians were picked up by Virgin Islands Marine Police on Sept. 8 after their boat ran out of gas and their captain deserted them on the way to St. Thomas, they said.
All but two of them — a Haitian and his 10-year-old son, who were taken to a Road Town hotel — were subsequently detained in the Immigration Detention Centre in Balsam Ghut until Oct. 6, when they were transferred to Prospect Reef Resort.
Their ordeal is not over — each awaits a decision on their asylum request that could be their ticket to a new life abroad — but they said Monday that for the moment they were simply happy to be out of the Immigration Detention Centre.
The Cubans said they left home largely because of a lack of economic opportunity in a country where the average salary is less than $30 per month. Now, they said, they fear that if they return they will be subject to persecution at the hands of a government that restricts free speech and doesn’t respect human rights.
In the coming days, they will tell their stories to officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, who will interview them and assist with processing their asylum requests.
The UN agency does such work here in part because the territory has no legal framework in place to guide the process.
That may change soon. In last month’s Speech from the Throne, Governor John Duncan announced the government’s plan to amend the Immigration and Passport Act to include a section titled “Applications for Asylum,” which he said will address the issue.
Chief Immigration Officer Geraldine Ritter-Freeman confirmed this week that the reform is ongoing, adding that it is “a work in progress.”
“In the meantime,” she wrote, “we are doing our best to facilitate the illegal immigrants amidst the myriad of concerns on both sides.”
A legal framework would help codify a process that has long been a grey area in the Virgin Islands.
As a United Kingdom overseas territory, the VI is not bound by the main international treaties on asylum seekers — the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol — but it still has an obligation to follow international standards, according Christopher Boian, a spokesman for UNHCR in the Americas and Caribbean.
And Ms. Ritter-Freeman said the VI plans to do just that.
“Under the circumstances, we have done all that we can to manage the situation keeping in mind the Refugee Convention and the responsibilities of the state in these cases,” the CIO wrote. “We are continuing our review and assessment of the immigrants and any claims that they may have with a view of concluding the matter soonest and in the best interest of all concerned.”
The asylum seekers at Prospect Reef are likely to need food, clothes and other items in the coming weeks. To assist, contact the BVI Red Cross at 494-6349 or the BVI Seventh-day Adventist Hispanic Group at 343-2515.
See the Oct. 13, 2016 edition for full coverage.
This article has been edited to reflect the correct name of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
See the Oct. 13, 2016 edition for full coverage.
Legal framework in the works for asylum seekersBy FREEMAN ROGERS In the coming days, the migrants staying at Prospect Reef Resort expect to meet with officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, who will interview them and assist with processing their asylum requests. The UNHCR does such work here in part because the territory has no legal framework in place to guide the process. That may change soon. In last month’s Speech from the Throne, Governor John Duncan announced the government’s plan to amend the Immigration and Passport Act to include a section titled “Applications for Asylum,” which he said will address the issue. Chief Immigration Officer Geraldine Ritter-Freeman confirmed this week that the reform is ongoing, adding that it is “a work in progress.” “In the meantime,” she wrote, “we are doing our best to facilitate the illegal immigrants amidst the myriad of concerns on both sides.” A legal framework would help codify a process that has long been a grey area in the Virgin Islands. As a United Kingdom overseas territory, the VI is not bound by the main international treaties on asylum seekers — the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol — but it still has an obligation to follow international standards, according Christopher Boian, a spokesman for UNHCR in the Americas and Caribbean. And Ms. Ritter-Freeman said the VI plans to do just that. “Under the circumstances, we have done all that we can to manage the situation keeping in mind the Refugee Convention and the responsibilities of the state in these cases,” the CIO wrote. “We are continuing our review and assessment of the immigrants and any claims that they may have with a view of concluding the matter soonest and in the best interest of all concerned.” |
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