Chief economist and director of research at the Central Bank Alvin Hilaire has warned that the immigration situation in Trinidad and Tobago could face some serious challenges, given the fact that this country’s economy was still doing better than others in the region, and as such, workers from all over the region could begin flocking here.
He said, ’There could be greater immigrant workers attracted-from the Caribbean, Latin America and even Asia.’
He also said migrant labour in the United States has been hard hit, and there have been new curbs on hiring immigrants in more developed countries, and as such, some may now flock to Trinidad and Tobago.
The economist was speaking at the University of the West Indies’ Conference on the Economy which wrapped up late last week.
Many job seekers and unemployed persons across the country are also of the opinion that the increasing number of both legal and illegal foreign workers, who come into the country, work for less than minimum wage of $10 an hour.
Foreign workers can be easily spotted and heard speaking in their native accents in both Port of Spain, San Fernando and Chaguanas, earning a living at a number of groceries, construction sites, gas stations, small restaurants and retail stores.
’It makes it difficult for someone who knows they should be paid $9 (an hour) or more to go to a store, and they tell you they can only pay $7 (an hour),’ said one 25-year-old mother from Laventille.
’I am not working for that. Then they do not pay overtime, give you fifteen minutes for lunch and watch you crazy when you stand up for your rights because their other employees who don’t even have an ID card doing that,’ she added.
But many prominent members of the local business community are, in fact, saying that migrant labourers are not taking anything from nationals, and as such, are against the idea that the ’increasing influx of workers from Guyana, Venezuela and Jamaica’ should be looked at in a negative light.
In fact, they have said that migrant labour is the only thing keeping many industries like garment production afloat.
President of the San Juan Business Association Imtiaz Ali said, ’If we didn’t have those people, industries would have collapsed. They have had a positive impact on the economy. Migrant labourers have been helping for a long time in the garment industry and other sectors.’
Gregory Aboud, president of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association, said he has noticed an influx of non-nationals from Venezuela and Guyana but said, ’We (DOMA) cannot say that migrant workers are depriving anyone of jobs.’
He said there is still a surplus of jobs in the retail sector as many of his members continue to make reports about the difficulty they face in finding sales clerks and general store staff.
When the Mayor of Port of Spain Murchison Browne was asked about the effect of the increasing number of non-nationals perusing the streets of Port of Spain, he told the Express, ’I am not aware that it is creating a real problem. With over 300,000 people using the infrastructure in the capital every day, I am not sure that non-nationals are the real problem.’
He said he had received no complaints of these arrivals placing enormous pressure on the country’s social systems either.
