Trinis turn to Shanique Myrie for help
SHANIQUE Myrie, the poster girl of free travel through the Caribbean Community, says she has been contacted by Trinidadian friends who have voiced their disgust at the actions of that country’s immigration officers.
Myrie, who was recently awarded damages against Barbados in the Caribbean Court of Justice, says some Trinidadians are not in agreement with the unfair treatment being meted out to Jamaicans.
“I have friends who live in Trinidad and they are calling on Jamaicans not to blame the Trinidadian people. It is the actions of the immigration officers. They asked me to tell the people of Jamaica that they love us,” Myrie told the Jamaica Observer.
Last week 13 Jamaicans, including an 11-year-old child, were denied entry into the twin island, forced to sit on a hard bench for an entire night and sent back to Jamaica the next morning.
The treatment of the Jamaicans have elicited calls for consumers to boycott goods from the twin island and a movement has
already started on the social media Facebook.
“I am very disappointed in what happened in light of the recent CCJ (Caribbean Court of Justice) ruling in my favour. The immigration officers think they are a law unto themselves and can do anything they want,” she said.
However, Trinidad Minister of National Security Gary Griffith has come out in support of the immigration officers and claimed that the Jamaicans were denied entry for legitimate reasons.
In a report carried in the Trinidad and Tobago News Day, Griffith is quoted as saying: “Some of them lied about where they would be staying, others claimed to be here for work, but didn’t have proper documentation to support that, and none of their alleged employers showed up to collect them. There was also one woman who told immigration officers she had brought her child to see its father, but the man was also a no-show.”
However, the Jamaicans interviewed by the Observer when they arrived at the Norman Manley Airport last week Tuesday said the immigration officers made no attempt to contact the people who came to pick them up and told them they were being turned back because of the recent murder of a Trinidadian who was visiting Jamaica.
“They told us we were prisoners and that they didn’t want us in their country,” one woman said.
The rejected Jamaicans were not allowed to contact their consulate, an attorney or their relatives as is outlined in the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
Jamaican culture is very popular in the twin-island republic and reggae music is heavily rotated on radio stations and cable channels there.
Reggae concerts sometimes attract thousands of Trinidadians to venues such as the Queens Park Savannah.
There are also thousands of rastafarians in Trinidad, a movement that was started in Jamaica.
Still a boycott them goods and services, dem no like we and their prime minister agree with the deportation of the 13 jcans.
Damn right! To say “love” is one thing, to “show” it is another.
most of us too poor to be able to boycott. money cannot stretch as is, Thats why we buy cheaper goods in the first place
Nonsense! All you have to do is mek yu belly and yeye trech pass de “made in Trinidad” cheap goods dem fi a period of time. One week to a month of cramping dem economically is saying a grand PHUCK YU! to dem and anybody else.
they dont love we .lies lies :hoax2
deport all of them who in jamaica back to trinidad
CNN International recently published their top 12 list of coolest nationalities in the world and you know Jamaicans have to be on that list.
With a list of approximately 250 possible candidates the list was narrowed down to the 12 most hippest peoples on the planet.
Jamaica came in at number 3 behind Singaporeans second and Brazilians first. Despite many obvious contenders, the list also contain many surprises. But then we wouldn’t know unless we visit these countries to see what life there is like. For all I know Jamaica could almost be number one.
See the full list below
12. Turks
11. Belgians
10. Nepalese
9. Chinese
8. Botswanans
7. Japanese
6. Spanish
5. Americans
4. Mongolians
3. Jamaicans
2. Singaporeans
1. Brazilians
In my observation on how other Caribbean people feel and treat us Jamaicans, I realize that most of them do not like us, (notice I said most, not ALL), It would be folly for me to say all, but in my travelling and on ground here in America other Caribbean people whom I have met do tend to cast their eyes and tongues negatively to us, but in doing so they emulate us (as with other nationalities), almost in everything we do, nuh fi mention de women dem whey love we man dem,caws (if de times change ah now), but Jamaican man dem KNOWN fi gi ooman money…(super cat did try change dat wid de boops song and him did fi awhile, but ting almost back to nawmal again), but what I realize is that we Jamaicans do not do that to our fellow west Indians (most ah we). What ever or why ever they do this, it is so sad as we are all the same people…God kinda show favoritism wid Jamaicans as we are KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD FOR SO MANY THINGS, and but for Rhianna nuff people would not have known about Barbados…while we pred whey gone ah lead from long time ago….probably ah dem tings deh, mi nuh know!!
BUT CNN WE SHOULD HAVE DE #1 SPOT, CAWS EVERYBODY WANNA BE JAMAICAN…BIG UP ALL JAMAICANS!!!!
:2thumbup…for the article. And Hi Obara… :kiss
No Jokeeeeeee!!!!!! whey yuh been????? :thumbup :peluk happy thanksgiving to you, Met , Simplicity, Chuety, Observer, Nixxy. Sketel Bam (love yuh name) Yeppy all de Londoners, Lundun and Lodon, wid de numba dem behine de name, all Metters. peepers, and sometime onlookers….and all Islanders!!!..bless up!!..Serenity, foxy, Toni ann, Danhai Skeng and de missing ones bless up oonuh self, whey oonuh deh??
Thank you Obara for that information that you posted. Respect to all Jamaicans,near and far !!!!
Every where u go ina life there is going to be haters and lovers.Mi travel go over some of dem islands and the man dem hate we more dem di woman,,except fi Barbados.Fi fact dem man no really spend pon dem like yardman,dem surprise when u tek dem out and tell dem fi chill with dem money.The whole carribean wan tik a page outta NYC and see how wi must live as one and support wi one another,except again Barbados who speak the queen English.The last time mi check nobody no wan speak like bajans but check out wi speak bad patwa inna demand.PEACE and LOVE mi peoples.
BLAME THE JAMAICANS FOR THEIR OWN ACTION. THE GOOD PAYING FOR THE BAD. PLEASE STOP THE BULLSHIT BOUT HATE AND JEALOUSY. THAT IS U ALL PROBLEM. THE WORLD JEALOUS OF U ALL. JEALOUS FOR WHAT? LOOKS, CLOTHES, VANITY. GET IT TOGETHER. BLAME THE IGNORANCE, BLAME U ALL SELVES. IT IS JUST A CASE OF THE GOOD SUFFERING FOR THE BAD ONES. EVERYTHING WITH U JAMAICANS ARE BADMIND, JEALOUSY AND BULLSHIT. LMAO. HOW U ALL GONNA SANCTION TRINIDAD WHEN TRINIDAD OWN HALF OF U ALL COUNTRY. GET IT TOGETHER.