TCI News
“Beyond The Rubble: What TCI’s Crackdown on Illegal Homes Means for the Future”
Ed Forbes
Turks and Caicos, August 21, 2025 – In a bold move to deny criminals refuge, local law enforcement recently carried out an operation targeting illegally constructed homes. The scale was unprecedented — 200 plus structures demolished in just 72 hours. Their efforts must be commended.
While the action was framed as a necessary step in the fight against crime, it left many families suddenly displaced. This raises pressing questions about accountability and social responsibility of the government.
For tenants, the legality of a building’s structure should not be their responsibility to verify. Most people rent or occupy in good faith, trusting that landlords and authorities have met legal requirements. If illegals were occupying such structures, then they should be dealt with accordingly.
I’m of the opinion, when such large-scale demolitions occur, it is imperative for government agencies to have a contingency plan — namely, temporary shelters or emergency housing — to protect innocent families from homelessness.
But the most urgent concern lies in the sheer number of demolitions. How did so many illegal structures arise without intervention? This is
not the first operation of its kind. In 2023, over 27 acres were demolished in the Bight and Five Cays.
Were officials or private owners unaware, or did they turn a blind eye? Was there negligence, lack of oversight, which can give way to unchecked corruption. These are not just speculative questions, they are necessary ones. The planning department, and the broader regulatory framework, must be scrutinized. Are staffing levels adequate for inspections and enforcement? Does the system of checks and balances need a full overhaul? History shows that such problems rarely appear overnight. Illegal housing often grows incrementally — “one building at a time” — until the issue becomes unmanageable. The fact that the situation escalated to hundreds of unlawful structures suggests a systemic failure.
Ownership is another matter demanding attention. Were these homes on Crown land? Who are the landlords or landholders responsible for these properties? At what point will the law hold them accountable for enabling — or if they are directly profiting from illegal development
The broader context cannot be ignored: rapid legal and illegal immigration is putting immense strain on housing supply. Without adequate, affordable options, the risk is twofold — skyrocketing rents and the spread of informal, unsafe settlements.
This combination could quickly spiral into a socioeconomic crisis, undermining both public safety and community stability.
While dismantling illegal housing may remove havens for criminal activity, it does not address the underlying housing shortage. In order to minimize similar situations in the sister islands or elsewhere, this will require decisive government action, not just enforcement.
The housing proposals discussed during the last election must move from paper to reality in a timely manner. At this critical juncture, priority must be given to building single-family homes and affordable apartments over luxury villas and resort developments.
Turks and Caicos stands at a crossroads. Choices made now will determine whether it remains not only a beautiful place to visit, but a secure, vibrant, and equitable place to live and work.
Eradicating crime is vital, but so is safeguarding the rights, dignity, and housing needs of law-abiding residents. Enforcement without sustainable housing policy is not a long-term solution — it’s a temporary fix to a growing crisis. Therefore, government must prioritize resources and put them where they’re most needed.
Almost two million visitors recorded in 2025
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS – The Turks and Caicos Islands saw an increase in stayover arrivals in December, seven percent higher than the corresponding period in 2024.
Preliminary data suggests that stay over arrivals by air for the month of December was 66,427 in comparison to 62,610 in December 2024.
From January to December 2025, preliminary visitor arrival numbers totalled 640,754; on par with the number recorded for the same period of 2024.
Stay Over Arrivals YTD December 2024/2025
The first quarter of the calendar year attracted the largest number of arrivals with visitor arrivals three percent higher than the first quarter of 2024. Reduced airlift from the United Kingdom and the United States, most notably the Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue services, was however felt from the second quarter (April to June). As a result, visitor arrivals dropped three percent in the second quarter.
By the third quarter of this year (July to September), geopolitical and economic conditions in the key source markets, namely the United States, led to further contraction of arrivals. In the last quarter of 2025, arrivals were impacted in October due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa but additional airlift from the USA and Canada resulted in an increase in arrivals in November and December.
Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant of Experience Turks and Caicos, said December’s increase in stayover arrivals is an encouraging indicator of the sustained interest in the Turks and Caicos Islands as a premier destination.
“While we note and continue to monitor geopolitical shifts that affect us, Experience Turks and Caicos is focused on increasing marketing initiatives in our primary source markets. We have spent the last two years investing in groundwork such as crucial travel advisor training to assist them in selling the destination more effectively. In the next fiscal, we will be building on those initiatives with co-op activities with partners as well as out of home advertising to increase visitation to our destination,” he said.
In Cruise, the preliminary count of passenger arrivals for the month of December 2025 was 129,346, a 22 percent increase over last December. This growth follows the berthing of 11 additional ships in Grand Turk this month.
From January to December, the cruise sector continued to outperform the same period last year, as the 1.3 million total cruise passengers recorded, marks a five percent Year-on-Year increase. 
The cruise sector experienced significant growth in the first quarter of 2025, with passenger arrivals surpassing last quarter by 53 percent. In the second and third quarter however, several cruise lines adjusted their itineraries as vessels were pulled from the fleet or from the Caribbean region, which resulted in fewer passengers.
Arrivals dropped seven percent and 10 percent in the second and third quarters, respectively. Double digit growth was recorded in the last two months of Quarter 4. This growth however, was not sufficient to outweigh the drop in arrivals experienced in October, following the cancellation of cruise calls due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Despite the late-quarter rebound, arrivals for the final quarter of 2025 closed six percent below the same period in 2024.
News
The Department of Trade, Industry & Fair Competition to Host Export Readiness Workshop Under the theme “Empowering TCI Businesses for Local Growth and Global Markets.”
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday, 11 February 2026: The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU) coordinated a multi-agency enforcement operation on Thursday, 29 January 2026, led by the Planning Department, with support from the Crown Land
Unit, the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force, and security provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. The operation, carried out at three different locations in Providenciales, formed part of ongoing government efforts to address unauthorised development and illegal occupation of land in accordance with governing legislation.
The operation commenced in Blue Hills, where five Section 58 Enforcement Notices were issued on unauthorised structures identified on Block and Parcel 60502/48.
Enforcement activity then moved to a second location off the Leeward Highway near Caicos Lodge, where six Section 58 Enforcement Notices were issued on additional unauthorised structures on Block and Parcel 60802/66.
The final phase of the operation took place in The Bight, where three unauthorised structures were removed, with all debris cleared from the site in keeping with established safety and environmental protocols.
The Informal Settlements Unit remains committed to working alongside its partner agencies to support lawful development, protect public and private land, and ensure that planning regulations are enforced in a coordinated and transparent manner across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Similar joint operations will continue as part of the Government’s wider strategy to address unauthorised development and informal settlement activity.
