Does the Immigration Dept discriminate against Hispanics?
Over the past three years, many residents, especially business persons, have shared troubling experiences with our news centre.
They have claimed that there has been a consistent practice by the Immigration Department of returning Hispanics who come into the Territory. The main reasons, according to a former Immigration Official, are suspicion of the real reason they are in the Virgin Islands (VI), inability to be consistent when they are answering certain questions, and sometimes no one at the ports to collect them.
Bad treatment of DR residents?
However, many residents and business persons have said this is not always the case and that Spanish-speaking persons are still returned even after their families, vacation sponsors and others have paid hundreds of dollars for tickets, visas and other travel arrangements.
One businessman, speaking to our newsroom on condition of anonymity, alleged that this just happened to him a few months ago. “I did everything that was requested. As the sponsor, I submitted bank statements to obtain the visa, my invitation letter, I showed that I could have maintained the young ladies from both Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, but when they arrived, because they did not answer some questions to the Immigration Officer’s satisfaction, they returned both young ladies back on the flight”.
This is nothing but “discrimination because they were two Spanish-speaking young ladies,” the businessman alleged.
The businessman opined that he has heard other stories and it seems that this frequency of returning Hispanic persons is at an all-time high.
While the Immigration Department's former official has noted that other nationals are also returned home, they declined to comment on why the numbers are high as it relates to visitors from Hispanic countries.
One young lady, who was sponsored by a resident, was returned home because she allegedly forgot the address for where she was staying, according to a resident, who said he paid close to $1000.00 for her air travel, and provided bank records for her visa and showed that he would be responsible for the visitor.
Remember our history
Another issue raised was when a married couple born in the Virgin Islands was allegedly told by Immigration Department that they needed a letter from the department before their baby, who was born in the US, would be allowed to board the ferry from St Thomas to Tortola.
Up to publication time, Acting Chief Immigration Officer Nadia Demming-Hodge had not responded to our request for comment.
A local historian, in an invited comment, stated that “US, Canadian and South African Caucasian visitors" do not face this type of discrimination or suspicion. The historian reminded the new generation of civil servants that “when the VI had nothing, our grand and great grandparents went to Cuba and Santo Domingo to work in the cane and cotton fields to send back money for our survival, so be careful how we treat residents from those two islands”.
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37 Responses to “Does the Immigration Dept discriminate against Hispanics?”
Yes, we are guests here on country that is not "ours" and should comport ourselves accordingly. No one should expect the red carpet to be rolled out. But even a modicum of professionalism from that disgrace of a department wouldn't hurt.
SOOO.. discriminated agajnst.???...don't know. Eliminated should be the deal..
I HONESTLY THOUGHT IT WAS APRIL THE 1ST..
Must be a prank.. immigration enjoys giving hard working people trying to do the right thing a hard time!!!
ANOTHER BLOGGER HAVE SAID LEAVE THEM SPANISH ( SWEAT FOOD ) ALONE OR YOU CAN GET HOOKED / SOME OF THE JUST GOT A CLEANING JOB , YET THEY GOING HOME AND COMING BACK EVER COUPLE OF MONTHS , SO THE IMMIGRATION NEED TO MONITOR THOSE , BUT THEN SOME IMMIGRATION WORKERS ARE WORKING FOR YHE DRUG LORDS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO IS SMUGGLING DRUGS IN FAKE WRAPPERS AS A FRONT IS ALLOWED TO PASS IN UNCHECKED ,
SO THIS AINT LITTLE OPERATION