ReliefWeb

Prepared by the UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean Area in association with the USAID, Caribbean

Highlights

This paper examines the main risks faced by the migrant children in Trinidad and Tobago and the exacerbating impact of COVID-19 outbreak due to: i) disruption to education, ii) rising unemployment, iii) risks to mental health and safety, and iv) to child nutrition and health.

For example, the impact resulting from the disruption to education can be worsened if opportunities for home learning are limited or absent; while increased time at home and rising unemployment (estimated to increase from 33% to 52% among migrants) can cause family tensions and deterioration of nutritional status.

The paper recommends that the effectiveness of existing programmes targeted at migrant children should be enhanced through increased quality and coverage, improved sustainability, strengthened coordination and partnerships, and continuous monitoring.

Although the paper was developed in July 2020 when the Government was actively pursuing the gradual reopening (which is attesting to how much the situation can change in 3 weeks), the recommended measures are relevant today and in anticipation of the resumption when the conditions permit.

1. Context

Since 2016, Trinidad and Tobago has experienced an influx of Venezuelans seeking to escape the deteriorating living conditions in their home country. As of late 2019, there were around 23,400 Venezuelan refugees and migrants living in Trinidad and Tobago, and this number is projected to rise to about 33,400 by the end of 2020. Migrants have been arriving by both sea and air.

The overall number of migrants continued to increase until early 2020, although Venezuelan arrivals through official ports of entry have gradually decreased from a quarterly peak of 8,000 in early 2016 to less than 1,000 during the first quarter of 2020.

By the end of June 2020, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had recorded 18,900 persons of concern (POC) – over 150 per cent more than the number recorded in August 2018. The great majority, 84 per cent of POCs, were asylum seekers and 14 per cent were categorized as refugees. In all, 85 per cent of POCs were Venezuelan.

In June 2019, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago undertook a registration exercise to identify all refugees and asylum seekers in the country. Around 19,000 migrants were registered, comprising 16,500 adults and 2,400 children under the age of 17 years.

Migrants in Trinidad and Tobago are predominantly of working age and single, although a significant number have children accompanying them (Table 1). Over half had arrived in the first six months of 2019, underscoring the rise in migrants since 2018. Furthermore, since August 2019, the proportions of women and children have increased, indicating that more families with children have been arriving and/or that spouses and children are joining family members already living in Trinidad and Tobago. Almost 40 per cent have, or were studying for, post-secondary qualifications. These characteristics are typical of migrant populations, as is the implicit level of family members left behind in Venezuela and the high level of migrants remitting money or goods to their home country.