Governor Defends use of Regional Security Partnerships 

By Dana Malcolm  

Staff Writer  

#TurksandCaicos, March 23, 2023 – The US Coast Guard plucked a potential 9000 migrants out of the waters near to TCI last year Governor Nigel Dakin is reminding, as he defends the use of regional security partnerships with ‘significant practical benefit’ in the Turks and Caicos. 

“Not all were headed for TCI – their routes take them now in many directions – but we should still assume, given that we are the closest landfall – that many would have arrived in our waters,” he said. 

The Governor, who managed to establish a new law enforcement branch, and galvanized efforts and brought to fruition long-time talks about improving border security, shared a photo of an overloaded migrant boat and said: “This is what I’m talking about. The public in TCI rarely gets to see the results of the alliance we have with the US and Bahamas, but myself and those involved in National Security get to see it all the time.” He continued detailing the results, “This is an example; a sloop interdicted by the US Coastguard before it reaches our waters. One less vessel for us to intercept, normally at night, and normally amongst treacherous reefs, and one less group of around 150 that we need to process and repatriate.” 

Still, there are commentators who continue to vocalize their strong opinion that the TCI needs more.  Citing that the islands, as a vulnerable and overwhelmed UK territory, should enjoy a fixed British military presence in and around TCI waters.  It has been stated on a number of fronts, over the years, that the United States Is protecting its borders with its own assets through the Coast Guard, and The Bahamas is protecting its borders with its own assets through the Defence Force, yet the Turks and Caicos, which belongs to the United Kingdom has no military footprint in its oceans and is paying an expensive price fiscally and socially for the lack of guardianship. 

Dakin, with his perspective posted on the weekend of March 19th, referenced the recent US conference which strengthened Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT), maintaining that the benefits of this regional partnership were not ‘one off,’ but tangible benefits that protect life and property.  

The Governor also referenced the new investigative capabilities the country has, and new powers handed over to the courts as tools to fight the issue along with those regional partnerships.