Minister: CAL to fly TT students to US

Minister of National Security Stuart Young says his ministry is working closely with Caribbean Airlines to provide flights for TT students to return to the US in time for the 2020 fall academic semester. Young was speaking at the Ministry of Health’s virtual media press conference on Wednesday morning.

The decision to help TT students return to the US came after the US Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration Customs Enforcement agency said on Monday that all international students must either return to the US to be in good standing with the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, or apply for an authorised early withdrawal.

The consequence of not returning to the universities, will lead to the termination the students’ academic and athletic scholarships, loss of personal belongings and the ineligibility for practical training resulting in the disruption of our academic progress, to name a few.

The CAL flights to America will begin soon.

Young said while there are students asking to leave the country there are there are also TT students in Colombia and India are asking to return home. But they must wait since the government is repatriating nationals in categories, specifically those who applied first.

“It is coming down to, as one category, those who applied early o’clock, not those who are applying now later on. Because we do have instances of persons who were making their lives and living in Canada in the United States and now for whatever reason, they want to come back.”

The government is also making arrangements to have TT students in America repatriated.

Last week the US government advised international students enrolled in online classes and still staying in America to leave immediately. The US government said if universities are offering full online courses the US student visas should be withdrawn and the students should return home, the US Customs and Border Protection announced on July 10.

That decision, however, was reversed and students are being allowed to stay in the US.

Young also announced during the press conference, nationals stranded in Canada, UK and the US, waiting for an exemption to return home may soon be able to access funds through the TT embassy, missions, and consulate. The funds will be sent by the Ministry of Finance and will go, “to the most needy and legitimate cases.”

After a meeting with the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Colm Imbert on Monday, a decision was taken to send money to assist nationals. Young did not say how much money would be sent but mentioned the funds would be limited. “I will be working with those various consulates embassies and missions, using the lists of requests for exemptions that we have at national security to try and identify those who may need when they come asking for help.”

Young already predicts that the exercise would be difficult as government expects nationals to attempt to scam the agencies and abuse the system to access the emergency funds.

He said the funds were for “those who went on short visits and have now found themselves in difficult circumstances that we are very aware of. It is a difficult system, but it is a fair system that we’re operating.”

Young said CAL would soon increase reparation flights to bring the stranded national’s home.

In the past, Young said he had called on those who could pay for their state quarantine, to do so in an attempt to speed up the exemption process.

But that had not worked as planned as people who agreed to pay their way through quarantine, had issues paying when the exemption was eventually granted.

“Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out. We are looking at expanding our facilities and the ability of the Ministry of Health, to quarantine more persons so we can bring in more flights. I just want to stick a pin in that right now.”

He said the ministry had received over 635 e-mails asking for exemptions on Monday alone. The e-mail address – travelexemption@mns.gov.tt – was set up last week.

Young said special focus would be placed on seniors with health issues, the sick, and people who have small babies and children, requesting exemptions, in the coming weeks.

“That is how we’re going through it in a very fair process that can stand up to the levels of scrutiny.”