All Jamaicans Are Suspects to Trinidad Immigration & Customs: My Personal Experience by Jamaican Actor Christopher ‘Johnny’ Daley – January 2014
By Christopher ‘Johnny’ Daley
Published Jan 7, 2014
Christopher ‘Johnny’ Daley-2
I had my worst travel experience entering the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago last night and I’m sorry to say it but Jamaicans are Targeted and Profiled because it happened to me and my wife. A. J. Nicholson Mr. Minister of Foreign Affairs there is much work to be done. We were suspects the minute we walked up to immigration.
Without scanning our passports the East Indian looking officer took up a phone and called someone to indicate that she felt suspicious. Whilst on the phone with the receiver by her ears she then asked a few questions as to the purpose of our trip. She was told.
She then asked if we were actually married. Again she was responded to. The officer then pointed out that I had several work permits (for other countries in my passport) to the person on the phone as if that was her reason for being suspicious. She then scanned our books and asked us to sit across the way and wait. After fifteen minutes or so she called us over and handed our passports and sent us through. If the checks had ended there this note would not be written but as soon as we got to our bags and entered the customs line it was clear that the Customs enforcement team that was waiting was prepped to look out for the suspects Aka Jamaican Criminals. Without hesitation on reaching the customs officer he called over the woman in bright orange that was the leader of the enforcement team.
She showed her name tag before she started her interrogation of the suspects (that’s how I felt). She asked about the contents of our luggage and my wife and I made sure we wrote everything down on the form. Now even though there were several scanning machines in that area we were the only ones being searched by hand. While searching our luggage I was asked to break open one of the patties we took for our hosts. She then broke several pieces of the ginger we were asked to take and squeezed the hard dough bread so hard that it lost its shape. Having not found anything beyond what was reflected she moved on to the next bags. During this time our passports were returned to her by two plain clothes “thug” looking men who did not identify themselves. They stood close by. The enforcement officer lady started asking me a series of questions:
How long have I been in Jamaica? To which I responded all my life I’m Jamaican.
She also assumed my wife was from Barbados.
She asked several times if I had any criminal record to which No was the answer.
She asked about my travel history as in where have I been in the last year and was told England, U.S.A. and other Caribbean islands…again she asked if I had any criminal records in these territories again no was the answer.
She seemed quite disappointed annoyed even that she found nothing alarming in our luggage and then she did the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever experienced. She asked if I was wearing two trousers (remember I live in the tropics ) to which my response was an obvious no without hesitation she instructed me to go to a room with the two thug looking men , when I enquired why she said to ensure I had nothing on my person. I shook my head and reluctantly entered the tiny room. One thug stood at the door the other asked me to lift my shirt up. I did since I had my undershirt on. He gave me a pat down, searched the seams of my pants and then told me to step out. This has never happen before in all my years of traveling. Even to the Great United States a country that constantly has to protect its borders from Terrorists. It was humiliating.
A. J. Nicholson there was no respect shown to me and my wife. The Trinidad Airport Authority personnel seem to personally enjoy dragging us through the mud of their system.
Suffice to say we barely made the connecting flight to Tobago and got attitude from the Caribbean airline staff on the ground for being late for boarding. Oh and they left our luggage by the way. Fortunately our hosts in Tobago could drop a few names and it was later delivered.
My fellow Jamaicans please have all your “Ducks in a row” and your “T’s crossed” if you need to travel to Trinidad and Tobago because we are being targeted no doubt.
They had no good reason to treat my wife and I the way they did so I can only assume it’s our nationality that was the issue. It’s as if the Immigration and Customs personnel have replaced the word Jamaican with Criminal so please be careful.
From a proud Jamaican son…vacationing in Tobago.
Read more: http://www.jamaicans.com/articles/primecomments/all-jamaicans-are-suspects-to-trinidad-immigration.shtml#ixzz2pl0OYJtU
and yet by a mawnin wi still hav a yawdie a guh travel guh deh wi fi tap go deh fuxx demmmmm n dem small island if a suh a suh an jamaica need fi employ fi dem same tactics weh dem a use pon wi
I am speechless
mi waa know if a di work permit dem mek dem feel like him fi get dig down…and if he has had prior permits what did they think he was going there to do?
but why dem timid a dis big business man? dem too outtah audah n disrespekful
No we don’t need to act like them, then we will be just as disgusting if not worse than them. Just no go round dem but welcome them with open arms. Two wrong no make right
I agree !!!!
Let me just put this out their, when PNM was in power this never happened. Now that the UNC is in power a lot of changes seemed to have been made and it’s happening more and more.
Trinidad just sad and badmind seh them nuh great like we. F**k trinidad and everybody from there tsk when you really look pon it tho out of every island trinidad have a special hate for jamaicans. Why? yet still them always a try compare themselves to us? we a do something right and a it them hate we fah. Mi remember an arguement that came up in the hair salon that i go to about tessanne being on the voice. And every other island people was happy she was representing for the islands except two ugly trini gal weh did inna the shop. My point is they dont like us for shit for the smallest things. Weh them even known for? jamaicans always triumph. F**k dem and them employment bullshit
yuh sound ignant !!!!
Yuh sound like a trinidad deadmeat!!!
First of all why anybody would want to leave Jamaica which is 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 times better than Trinidad with them dutty water and sewage running in trench on the roadside,Then racism and two little run dung hotel is beyond me..them deserve fi get dig dung If they want to go on vaction try another Island shit even Haiti have Island on the outskirts that is better than dutty water Trinidad and them seperate beach fi indian and as dem say one fi nigga… Please I will NEVER guh back to that de likkle slum Island…
They have a strong hatred for Jamaicans even in this country so I’m not suprise. I would visit and spend my money there smh
Wouldn’t ****
him lucky him mek di connected flight…is a row a chair mi sleep on in di departure lounge until the next flight in the morning!!! dem purposely mek mi miss mi flight…the indian looking one dem worst!
Jamaica fi return di same treatment when dem visit our country cause all dem a gwaan a badmind dem have…cause if a me like Johnny mi tell dem fi send mi back a mi yaad pon di next flight cause dem nuh more dan we…a tru wi excel in a everything wi do suh it bun dem…but coo pon dem to…
yes mi wudden enter…him fi sue dem damn out of order
mi did tell dem fi sen mi back a mi yard and dem don’t even look at mi! is like dem seh sending mi back is too easy…a wicked dem!!!
Met a dat him shudda duh…..dem out of order..
A nuh me a go dey !!!
Jamaicans, why you all keep going to this nasty underprivileged place? Johhny why never give har a patty an piece a de hardough bread. Yu nuh si de woman hungry…Yu hard sah…lol
Ok so a little rationale here: did the flight come from Jamaica? If so, are we to assume that all the other Jamaicans entered without hassle? Alerts of suspicions are normally received from the departing airport or from aboard the plane. It is VERY unlikely that a couple would be singled out without such an alert being given to them…I am not making any excuses but everything that was done was legal AND one must agree that numerous parcels of drugs have been found on incoming passengers. How should these parcels be found and the guilty apprehended if not via rigorous (and detailed) searches, once an alert is given? I love Jamaica, just came back from Frenchmen and Shaggy and Friends, we are even thinking about moving there so this rant isn’t about any dislike whatsoever, the facts are that many Jamaicans come here looking for a better life and will try to do anything to get that. Trinis do the same and get caught in North America as well so
aye sah..jamaicans going to trinidad looking for a better life has what to do with this? What reason did they have to be suspicious? It couldnt be because of the work permits because he clearly had many in numerous countries which should have shown that he did not intend to reside there illegally…What he wrote shows that Jamaicans on a whole arouse ‘suspicion” and in making every jamaican a suspect is cause for concern ..they are using the law to carry out illegal ”suspicious checks”
Morning ya Met n mi say when Jcan ppl see u in dem country the minute dem realize u not from there is like dem waaa lift u up n carry pon dem shoulder
If there is gonna b this humiliation at all times then just close u borders to everything Jcan then these fuxxers are fuxxing out of order man
Which is why I asked where the flight originated…you cannot derive that Jamaicans “on a whole” arouse suspicions if all the other Jamaicans came in without any issue and the facts are that 96% of Jamaicans enter Trinidad without any hassle. And as I said, red flags are given to Customs and Immigration from the departing airport and the flight crew. This unfortunate couples’ experience may have well been as a result of a decoy tip, allowing the real transgressors to go through. I feel extremely sorry for his unfortunate experience but I know of hundreds of others that come and go with ease…..
Hi hello by wat right can u say Jcans will do anything for a better life that is human nature to want betta fi ones self the drugs being carried is by the same Indian trinis n a dem same one a kill n chop women n children so they need to look n search n double check within. It is so much easier to say a Ja a cause problems than to fix the REAL problem Trinidad is facing like racism and social caste among other tings smh
Dem can try rationalize it all dem want and call this incident “unfortunate couple”, it’s not an isolated incident. That is really a cover for what is fast becoming an entrenched culture of discrimination to all things Jamaican. I suspect maybe trini ah try stand in solidarity wid BArbados, I mean how dear the Jamaican Shanique Myrie challenge the system and win. Trini need of focus on their own scourge eating up that country that they can no longer hide off the front page of their papers and hop off a we name. No justification for the treatment Jhonny and many other innocent Jamaicans go through. I praise Jesus not a ting ova dere whe mi want. I just wha dem take the CARICOM off I passport because it nuh benefit me one shit
Tawkchuet- yuh raise a good point about racism and social caste…for some reason all the Jamaicans I see complain bout bad treatment always Black- none of my light skinned/white Jamaican friends have any issues…..so how random is this suspicion?
Tweet but all the black Trini dem in problem so if they not treating dem own good y u think ago do betta otherwise??
Not a no alert from other flight nothing more than she see the black n a wonder how him a travel so much with so much permit n realize say is a progressive Jcan n decide to give him hell just because she can
EXCUSE ME BUT A WHICH JAMAICAN COULD POSSIBLY PASS CANADA, ENGLAND, AMERICA AND A LOOK BETTER LIFE INNA TRINIDAD, ARE YOU KIDDING ME. PLEASE TO MOVE UNNUH UNDERPRIVILEDGED BBC. AFTER TRINIDAD NO NICER THAN JAMAICA. ALL WE NEED INNA JAMAICA IS LIKKLE MORE INVESTMENT INNA WE COUNTRY. WE HAVE BETTER EVERYTHING. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS SEH JAMAICA A PARADISE AND EVERY TOURIST WHEY ME EVER ENCOUNTER FEEL THE SAME WAY. ME HAVE A CO WORKER (WHITE DUDE) HIM LOVE YAAD LIKE COOK FOOD. ME KNOW PEOPLE WHEY COME JAMAICA ONE TIME AND MOVE DUNG DEH. LOOK NUH NO BADDA GET ME DAGGAZ IN YAH TIDEH. DEM FI GWEH, WE FI STOP GO TRINIDAD. I USE TO GO T&T YEARS AGO WID ME TRINNY FREN FI CARNIVAL, TRINIDAD NO DAT SPECIAL. STOP SPEND WE HARD EARNED MONEY DUNG DEH. AND START INSTITUTE SOME FORM OF LEGAL REGRESS. MI TIYAAD A NASSY NEAYGAH A TREAT JAMAICAN PEOPLE WITH DISRESPECT AND DISREGARD. LIKE TRINNY PEOPLE NUH SELL DRUGS AND KILL PEOPLE. PLEAS GIMME A BREAK. ME GONE BACK GO WUCK PON THE PEOPLE PROPOSAL. BRIGHT NO BLOODCLAAWT.
No need to let emotions get the better of us here. Let us deal with the facts which are that more than 96% of Jamaicans come into Trinidad without any hassle. There will always be issues, amongst all nationalities, upon entering any country because that is the mechanism by which illegal activity is captured. Sometimes it is a hit and miss, sometimes drugs or other illegal substances are found, sometimes it is as a result of a “decoy tip-ff” and yes, sometimes it is unfair profiling. Trinidad isn’t perfect, but then again, nowhere is….but don’t allow the exceptions to distort the norm: ALL ARE WELCOMED HERE
Trini is where u get that percentage that u working wit from? Di u see the incident where 3/4 of a flight was deported??? Mass deportation n ano none a the Americas r Europe we a tawk bout n the idiot dem till a buy ticket a go kmft
The number of arrivals and deportations for the last five years was made public by the Customs and Immigration department right after the scandal with the 13 Jamaicans that were deported because a number of Trinidadians demanded it. I personally employ three Jamaicans that do not have work permits: two as security officers and one butcher in my store. Additionally there is a very respectful young Jamaican boy that works in the Gas Station where I fuel my car and I take lunch for him every Sunday. The average Trinidadian employer loves hiring Jamaicans because they have impeccable work ethics (unlike many Trinis in that pay category)….from what I have been told, the rate of pay in Trinidad is higher than in Jamaica and there is a lot of work available. So what, if they come here for work? I and most other Trinidadians welcome them!
Really so was there any public resolution made as to not have any more profiling done by ur country’s immigration officers? Listen u telling me about 3 cases gives me little comfort cause before Jcans can get to u for u n others like minded like u they have to go thru the airport n when the authorities have all right to make sure they do their job they also have to make sure innocent hardworking ppl r not humiliated in the process
ME NAH TEK BACK ME CHAT, BOYCOTT EACH AND EVERY ISLAND WHEY TREAT JAMAICANS IN THIS DISPICABLE MANNER. MONEY TALK BULLSHIT WALK. EVERY DAY BUCKET GO A WELL ONE DAY BOTTOM MUST DROP OUT. IF WE CONTINUE WITH INACTION THIS WILL ONLY ENCOURAGE THIS FORM OF DISRESPECTFUL TREATMENT. WE ISLAND SMALL BUT WE ARE A HARD WORKING AND RESOURCEFUL AND AMBITIOUS PEOPLE. DONE TALK
Guys… Please keep in mind, this is an issue with Trinidad’s government/law enforcement officials. Not the general population. Trini’s love we Baad (the culture, talk, music, artists, vibe, food & style).
Sweet I concur! This is obvious profiling and as explained by Johnny some of the things that were done were way out of the norm move oonuh bbc mi a one professional that would NEVER travel to Trinidad unless it is business, guh si some a d same dutty indian customs dem tuh weh a hassle ppl
They have all right to police dem borders. Mi have Jamaican passport and when I go home the question dem immigration asking not normal ! And dis ah me a Jamaican at immigration in Jamaica. All they need is reasonable suspicion that set the bar low. I hardly hear of couples getting harrasssed .
However. Ah true thu there is a big race issue in Trinidad and yea Jamaicans get treated ah way but who is to be blamed ??!
@MS B, THE TOTALLY INACTIVE PM WE HAVE WHO REFUSES TO ADDRESS ANY ISSUES ABOUT JAMAICANS BEING MISTREATED THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN DIASPORA. WE HAVE NO OFFICIAL VOICE OR REPRESENTATION, THE SMALL ISLANDS KNOW THIS AND THEREFORE THE MISTREATMENT OF JAMAICAN NATIONALS. KOO BARBADOS TOO, KOO TRINIDAD TOO. KMT. ME GONE NYAAM ME LUNCH.
Sweet Portia that u see there is cause u caa see the puppeteer strings she cannot n will not address anything that she is not TOLD to address smh it’s a bloody shame
Dem gwaan like a only jcans carry drugs, look pon the trini Weh get ketch wid cocaine a go a Canada inna di gleaner today. Boycott dem rass. Mek mi see how many jcans a go a dem carnival dis year.