Prime Minister Gaston Browne is appealing to the remaining West Africans who
have been living here since late December, not to attempt to leave the country
through illegal means such as smuggling.
Speaking on the weekend, the prime minister warned that anyone attempting to be
smuggled out of the country could possibly experience the same fate as those
individuals who lost their lives last Tuesday, when the boat in which they were
traveling capsized off the coast of St. Kitts.
Sixteen of the estimated 30 or 32 persons who were aboard the vessel have been
rescued and are now in custody in St. Kitts. Included among them is the captain
and a crew member who are believed to have been at the helm, when the vessel
went down in ‘very deep’ waters, 12 nautical miles northeast of St. Kitts.
Three bodies were pulled from the water and after several days of recovery
operations in the area, last Friday afternoon the authorities suspended their
operations, thereby ending any thoughts of recovering the bodies of the between
eleven to thirteen persons who went missing, and who are believed to have died.
Speaking directly to the migrants who remain in the country, the prime minister
noted that there was no need for them to put their lives at risk, and his government
made a decision to assimilate them into the local society. He revealed that when he
first heard of the incident, he was disappointed, as it demonstrated an abuse of the
country’s benevolence.
“I am hoping that those who remain would not seek to do anything as dangerous as
that again and to understand that we have accepted you as residents in this country;
you can live here, you can work here. If they want to go back home the offer still
stands, we will help them by assisting with the financing of their return to
Cameroon; we are not keeping them here against their will,” he emphasized.
The prime minister noted that he is aware that some may have been suggesting that
the government was keeping them here against their will. “This is not true and they
have to be honest with us; you can’t be saying you are being kept against your will
while at the same time benefiting from our benevolence,” he urged.
He again warned that the consequence of smuggling is real, it’s significant and he
hopes that none will attempt to do something that dangerous.
PM Browne is also asking nationals who may be thinking of assisting them to
leave the country illegally, to ‘cease and desist’. “I am aware, that the police have
called in at least one individual for questioning in this matter. My understanding is
that the investigation is ongoing and those who aided in the smuggling of these
migrants will be brought to justice. So we expect that law enforcement will carry
out their function and where there is a violation of our laws, they (the perpetrators)
will pay the price,” he declared.