OPERATION PURSUIT launched to stave off IRREGULAR Migration says Williams, Interim Governor

By Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, May 23, 2023 – Without an immediate increase in Border Security, irregular migration in the Turks and Caicos could triple according to Anya Williams, Acting Governor and Co-Chair of the National Security Council. She was speaking in a National Press Conference on Immigration today, May 22; one day after the interception of 129 migrants in Providenciales.

“It is highly concerning that during the first five months of 2023 the Turks and Caicos has already repatriated 1,921 irregular migrants with 387 repatriated in April and 582 repatriated in May 2023. Based on the current trajectory if the [TCI] does not take immediate action– it is projected that irregular migrant activity could possibly triple [over] 2022 and other years” she said.

Williams was flanked by Washington Misick, TCI Premier and Co-Chair of the NSC; Arlington Musgrove, Minister of Immigration and Border Services and Rodney Adams, Acting Police Commissioner.

Comparing the country to the US, Australia and others she said the Turks and Caicos’ status as a first world country and its consistent economic growth was very attractive to migrants.

“For us there is no ready or easy solution as we seek to balance between humanitarian solutions and economic impact. We wish our Caribbean neighbour Haiti well as they work along with other agencies to stabilise their political and economic environment. However the Turks and Caicos is not in a position to sustain the current levels of irregular migrant activity and the fallout from it,” she maintained

With this, Governor (acting) Williams revealed that ‘Operation PURSUIT’, a multi agency operation is now active with immediate effect.

It will identify and repatriate illegal migrants in the country and work to keep other migrants out by crushing pull factors internally.