Two individuals, brother and sister, Laverna and Leslie John, were today ordered to be deported back to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, following a court procedure.
The two Vincentian Nationals were arrested and charged last Saturday 12th June, after they reportedly entered the State of Grenada illegally, without adhering to stipulated entry protocols.
Both individuals arrived here via speedboat on the 3rd of this month and were residing in Florida, St. John and were later on detained by Immigration authorities.
Laverna and Leslie John were charged for entering the State without the Consent of an Immigration Officer and failure to submit to a Government-approved Quarantine Facility.
They were represented by Attorney Anslem Clouden.
Laverna and Leslie John have been placed in the care of the immigration department of the Royal Grenada Police Force, pending their deportation.
The Grenadian Attorney, commenting on moves geared at increasing the penalties for illegal entry in these COVID times, feels there should be some level of compassion.
REPORT:
With Grenada on the surveillance bandwagon trying to protect its borders, there’s often the fear that persons from other territories can slip through, as it’s been experienced before, and, once infected with COVID-19, the population here can be at risk.
This has tempted the authorities to seek and increase in fines and jail time in the circumstances.
The Immigration Amendment bill provides stiffer penalties for captains, masters, agents or crew, in breach of the provisions of the law.
The new measures provide for an increase from 10,000 to 12,000 dollars, and also a fine of 5,000 dollars, and/or 6 months in prison, or both, for the provision of false information.
The bill also seeks to significantly increase the penalty for individuals who knowingly harbor illegal immigrants from 3,000 to 10,000 dollars.
Garraway believes the pandemic is already creating a state of uneasiness, and even moreso, when someone leaves one country and enters another illegally without going through the stipulated checks, puts the entire population at risk.
Government Senator, Winston Garraway, who presented the Bill in Parliament.
And, while this maybe so, Attorney Anslem Clouden had a somewhat compassionate explanation, when asked today whether the increase will serve as a deterrent.
With the COVID thing still in the air, oftentimes when situations like borders breaches occur, it runs a scare throughout the Nation.
