Inflation hits Repatriation Costs, now $2,352 per person; $8 Million spent in Three Years

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, February 11, 2023 – The Turks and Caicos has spent over $8 million in the past three years on repatriations with the cost for each migrant coming in at just over $2000 according to Althea Been, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Immigration and Border Services.

In 2022, based on information from years prior, the Public Accounts Committee had said the cost per migrant was around $1,300 per person.  That has shot up more than $1,000 per person.

“For 2021 to 2022 we have spent $3.6 million on the tension and repatriation on detention and repatriation, and that comes to about $2,352 per person,” Been revealed after questions from the media.

The total for the 2022 to 2023 financial year which is not over was significantly higher as the country has already seen a nearly 50 percent increase in migrants with caught and repatriated so far.

“So far this year we have expensed $5.1 million which comes to $2,200 per person.”

For context, that cash could have taken care of the entire 2022-2023 budget for new projects for Law Enforcement, Border Control and Security and left $700,000 to spare.

The $8 million total also dwarfs the 2022-2023 budget allocations for Recreation, Culture, Religion and Housing and Community Amenities combined.

It is an exponential taxpayer bill for an issue that the Turks and Caicos has very little control over and emphasizes the need for strict border security across the country’s extremely porous borders.