Slow start to Venezuelan re-registration

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The re-registration of Venezuelan migrants got off to a slow start in San Fernando on Monday.

Up to press time, less than a hundred migrants had delivered their forms in the drop off box, set up at the Immigration Division office at Knox Street.

A handful of Venezuelans were seen sheltering from the rain opposite the office during the morning period.

Delores Matil, a Venezuelan migrant who was the third person to drop off her form, said she was pleased that the process went so smoothly.

“I was number three. They asked me a question and I dropped off my form and I was done in two minutes,” Matil said.

She urged other Venezuelan nationals to organize their forms early and drop them off hassle-free as soon as they could.

Former Venezuelan Judge Manuel Romero told Guardian Media that he planned to drop off his documents later this week. He said he was still in the process of getting supporting documents and was happy that the process was a smooth one.

However, the coordinator of the La Romaine Migrant Support Group Angie Ramnarine told Guardian Media that some Venezuelans faced difficulties in organizing the re-registration documents.

“Some of them were unable to download the form so we were able to help with downloading and photocopying. Before the process actually began we provided forms to about 50 migrants,” she added.

However, Ramnarine said getting a stamped job letter proved to be difficult for some.

“Lots of people who may have been working during the registration no longer have jobs in the same companies and in some cases, post-pandemic, these companies may have folded up,” she added.

She noted that there was a possibility that the migrants may re-register in other parts of the country.

“We have to remember that the migrant population is fluid and dynamic. Since they registered in 2019, many of them have moved to other parts of the country and have formed their own diaspora.

Ramnarine also said many of the migrants did house cleaning and odd jobs which meant their employer could not provide stamped job letters.

Despite all this, Ramnarine expressed relief that the process was smooth, “This time it is much more orderly than the initial registration process. The migrants have two weeks to re-register and we think that only a few came out this morning because many of them had to work or may not have all the accompanying documents to go with the form.”

More than 16,000 migrants who fled the socio-economic turmoil in Venezuela, are expected to re-register at Immigration Division Offices across the country.

The re-registration is expected to close on March 26.