Winston Dookeran, Trinidad Minister of Foreign Affairs
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Dookeran says if the threat of a boycott of products by Jamaicans materializes this could lead to a serious economic fall out for the twin island state.
Dookeran who was a guest on a local radio programme on Monday said a boycott would not make economic sense as it would only punish workers in both countries.
The boycott has been building steam since last week’s deportation of 13 Jamaicans from Trinidad and Tobago as they did not meet immigration requirements to enter the country.
But several Jamaicans say Trinidad was wrong to order their deportation, based on the provisions of the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
“The truth is that both countries will lose if there’s any containment of trade because out of trade comes employment opportunities in Jamaica and they too will be put at risk. And of course, it will mean a trade issue between Trinidad and Tobago which also affects us. I don’t hope that will reach that point at all because both countries will suffer as a result and we are willing to cooperate fully,” said Dookeran.
Dookeran is scheduled to meet with Jamaicans Minister of Foreign Affairs, AJ Nicholson on the matter.
Following news of the deportation of the Jamaicans, the junior minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here, Arnaldo Brown, says the Ministry is exploring the possibility of working more closely with immigration officials in Trinidad and Tobago to get information on Jamaicans who are deported.
“Well, it is both a process and a decision to be taken because we have to have the discussion with the immigration official. Because what obtains now is that when persons are returned there are not necessarily any extensive recordings of the reasons for why they were returned. I suspect as quickly as we can we’ll have it in place,” Brown said.
