Outrage as Trinidadian Immigration officials boot Jamaicans from Trinidad

Jamaicans are up in arms as both daily newspapers reported how a large group of Jamaicans were detained on arrival and booted from the twin island republic.

This would not have been the first time, that this would have occurred and on each occasion our Foreign Ministry has denied that such actions had in fact taken place.

I hear people suggesting that we boycott Trinidadian goods as a means of protest, but that really does not make economic sense, given the same goods if imported out of the USA or some other country, would attract duties, which would only increase the price of the goods here in Jamaica.

The GOJ appears hapless and is in no position to help those Jamaicans who have been denied entry and kicked out of Trinidad. I can understand the position of the Trinidadians given the increase murder rate in that country and given the fact that Jamaica is one of the most murderous country on the planet.

If the murder rate in Trinidad is increasing and there is a fear that Jamaicans are playing a role, I can see them trying their best to protect their citizens by keeping the rot out. The problem is even the innocent law-abiding citizen gets caught up in the stigmatization of Jamaicans. This problem is not just a T&T or Barbados issue and I will relate a situation that occurred recently in Europe.

A Jamaican mother sought to have her child stay with what is called a child minor ( baby sitter), while she went to work. The child minor accepted the child based on a recommendation from someone but there was a slight problem, she was very apprehensive until she got used to the Jamaican mother.

After a few days, she said to the mother ” at first I was terrified about looking after the child of a Jamaica, because they are boorish, loud, disruptive and generally crude, but you are so different, you are no the typical Jamaican”.

The mother said “most Jamaicans are fine, its the minority that gives problems.

The Child Minor smiled and replied ” Well it seems like I have recieved the majority of the minority and hence once I hear they are Jamaicans, I will not accept the job. You however have shown me the other side of Jamaica”

The above folks is a real account a what took place just a week ago and its a view generally held by many persons who have to interface with Jamaicans.

Jamaicans are upset with Trinidadians but are ok if our politicians who choose to discriminate against people from the opposing side in the distribution of the spoils that comes along with governance .

We should not be upset with Trinidad or Barbados, instead we should demand that Portia and the PNP fix our crime problem as well as the economy, so we can once again become the jewel of the Caribbean, which would allow us to stay at home instead of running to the rest of the Caribbean in search of opportunities that our country fails to provide for us.

Turn your anger to the party in power and not the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

I lived in Trinidad for a number of years and the biggest problem they had with Jamaicans back then, is the Trinidadian women loved us dearly, so they would say ” All you Jamaicans come here to take weh our girls, all you fellows giving all we a hard time. Oh gosh all you fellows wuk dem girls hard and oh gosh is that these girls like

The Trinidadian women admired the Jamaican male for his assertiveness vs the docile nature of the local men.

Things have changed since then and now the Jamaican male is seen more as one with criminal intent.

The one solution to the issue is not to boycott Trinidad or Barbados, instead we must spew venom on the GOJ and demand they do more right now, to fix the rot at home, so we can begin to walk wih our heads high once again. Until that occurs, Jamaicans will continue to be turned back at the our Caribbean borders, as we are not welcomed, since we are there to take something vs contributing.

We spend was too much time chasing after the wrong things or the wrong people.

BTW I still have a whole bunch of Trini friends and they are all warm nice folks

A dat me seh !