(Jamaica Gleaner) A group of university educators has been added to the growing number of people who believe Jamaicans are being targeted for extra scrutiny when they seek to enter Trinidad and Tobago.
The group of educators from the University of the West Indies, Mona, arrived in Trinidad on Sunday night to attend a conference at the university’s St Augustine campus.
Coordinator for the UWI’s social work programme, Dr Peta-Anne Baker, says members of her group were targeted for additional security checks as they went through customs. She said none of the passengers ahead of her group had been required to have their bags scanned.
And she says the customs officers indicated they were simply carrying out instructions to scan the bags of all the Jamaicans who arrived.
Baker says while they were not mistreated by the customs officials, it was obvious that Jamaicans are being specifically targeted when they seek to enter Trinidad and Tobago.
There have been several complaints recently by Jamaicans regarding discrimination at Trinidad’s ports. Recently, broadcaster and comedian, Christopher ‘Johnny’ Daley complained via social media about how he was treated when he and his wife arrived in Trinidad. Late last year, the matter of the treatment of Jamaicans in Trinidad received national attention after 13 Jamaicans said they were mistreated before being sent back home.
