Charge d’Affairs of the United States Embassy in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Brent Hardt, has said criminal activity in the Caribbean may be a bigger problem than the deportation of Caribbean nationals back to the region.
Regional leaders have complained that deporting Caribbean people back to their homeland after they have committed crime in the United States for instance, is hurting the region.
But the real challenge most countries are facing is from young people aged 16 to 21; most of them have never been outside their home country, according to Hardt.
He told the state owned radio, the matter is not as grave as it is perceived to be by many, and in defence of deportation action, Hardt has emphasized that countries must make the necessary moves to protect their borders.
“If someone is a citizen and they commit a crime, they stay, they’re ours; but if you’re still an immigrant then your country has an obligation to accept you back … All countries do that to protect their borders,” Hardt said.
Really interesting the US Official would point to that FACT – I always wondered if the stats point to crime among the young who have never left the shores of Dominica etc how can we attribute the increase of crime to deportation from the US. We in the Caribbean love scapegoats, like to blame others for our inefficiencies and the like – it is never our own making always somebody else to blame – our failure in cricket is the English and SO ON … ALWAYS HAVWE AN EXCUSE
The facts are juveniles are the ones commiting those crimes – or recycle criminals – with 10 and more convictions who have never left the State of Dominica – prior to deportation we were blaming the TV; Unemployment; the school, the church, dislocated and or dysfunctional family – we just jump on the band wagon instead of seriously analyzing the situation and trying to find solutions;
What we need is a broad base interest in society to deal with deviance – including all institutions of civil society – The Magistrate from Portsmouth is on the right track and we need to build on that momentum – let us stop looking for excuses all the time.
This is a very complex issue. Some West Indians are to blame for their deportation. Fox example, why would someone be in the US for over twenty years and still hold a Green Card? Because they do not want to “Sell their Flag.” This is some of the ignorance that some West Indians continue to practice. I tell people all the time that citizenship is in your “Heart” not on your passport. Although I’m a US Citizen, nothing will ever change the fact that I was born and raised in Dominica. I’m smart enough to gain citizenship for some of the benefits and protections that it offers.
I work with troubled teens and although it’s not official, we’re seeing correlations between criminal activity and mental illness. I know this is an issue in Dominica also. Particularly, we’re insensitive when addressing this issue in the Caribbean. If these children could receive the proper treatment and diagnosis, medication in some instances could help stabilize otherwise volatile adolescents.
Additionally, Dominica in particular does absolutely nothing for Youth Development. Despite all the political nonsense that we read on DNO everyday, their’s nothing being done for our youth by this present administration.
The Dominica Club is slated to be the new site of a Court House. Windsor Park is now a Stadium. Instead of spending some 40 million dollars to build a stupid “State House” spend some of that money to build infrastructure that supports youth development.
The powers that be are merely paying lip service to this issue.
Maybe people who stay with a greencard intend on serving their Dominican community. Maybe its deeper than just a flag. To some people it maybe easy to say yes I want to be a citizen but to others its deeper than that. I waited 10 years and 3 months before my green card expire I filed for citizenship. It is something that you have to think about before doing it. And anyone who see citizenship being more than just a piece of paper need to think about it.
Now let me say one thing. You can still get deported or have your citizenship taken away after becoming a US citizen. I know as fact that this is true. You know which clause they use to take it away? The section about moral and ethics. If you do something that gets you in trouble after the citizenship and your past is scrutinize for whatever reason, if they see that you did somethign thats deemed immoral before you filed for your citizenship, they will use this section against you. So please lets not act like it can’t happen.
No one is safe in Uncle Sam’s country!
Too many of us do not know the truth about the American system.. Imagine, what Black Americans
had to endure and is still enduring in other to survive in their own country. If they were not American
citizens they would be deported to countries where black people live. Therefore, many young west-
Indians fall victim to this prejudiced system. Many people may say that Bill Clinton was one of the best
presidents of the United States, but this is quite arguable.
He introduced a bill which made it possible to deport people for very simple offenses. This bill had
provisions which classified petty crimes as aggravated felonies under immigration laws. These laws
are so stringent that not even an immigration judge can debate a case. As a result ,many of these young people are deported for offenses that young white men will not spend one day in jail.
Therefore, we must not be quick to judge these people as criminals, because some are not.. However, am not ignorant and naive, and know that some are criminals.
I am in total agreement with Mr. Hardt, comments suggesting the reasons why he thinks these
deportees are a problem. Can you imagine some one dropping you off in New York and just leave?
You are just 16 years old. You do not have any family living in New York. Because you have never
lived in this place before, you have no sense of how the system works.What do you believe will happen to you.? How will you feed yourself? How will you clothe yourself? And how are you going to adjust to such an unfamiliar system. I think that anyone of us would do what we have to do to survive. It is the same thing that will happen if you take a young man from America and drop him in
Dominica. It will even be a little more difficult for him, because Dominica is much slower and lack so
many of the luxuries and necessities he is accustom to. It is a sad situation, which some kids bring
upon themselves, but also blame the United States for their cruel and unfair treatment which they
display to foreign people.
Well said.
Why dont you just stay in your own country..you talk like one of the people that want to beat the white man for his own biscuit..what you come to another country why dont you encourage foreigners to behave themselves when they come to anothers’ country..wouldnt dominica deport foreigners if/when they commit crimes in their country? May Antigua and the other islands should start deporting too when they commit crimes….When we go to other peoples country or to other peoples homes we need to behave our selves
Mister doh wat he talking about.Did he gather any statistics on the matter because that would show a completely different picture.Right here in d/a we know of high crimes including murder that have been committed by deportees from island of guadeloupe and St thomas.It is true that these individuals were either illegal aliens or were holders of a green card and were deported after serving time.
You would need to prove that as you have nothing to prove it with. The crimes are committed by Dominican criminals to travel the channel illegally to commit crimes. Then they are deported. That is completely different from someone witha greencard bring deported for DWI and classfied a criminal deportee which is not the case.
He did not say that it is not happening. Read the statement. Yes some deportees commit crimes but they should not be blamed for all the crimes.
Some?? bring me some hard statistics to substantiate that. Some is a narrow minded typical Dominican way to justify flippant statements. ! I read his statement and it is incorrect.
It is a known fact by many locals that we have deportees on island that are contract killers right under our noses..Our lil incompitent police force just too busy walking the hills and mountains looking for small time marijuana farmers.Keeping track and Investigating these guys is just too much work for the police i guess.
Mr.Hardt is so right cause if we look at Dominica for instance the individuals committing crimes most of them have never even been to the airport furtherless leave the island.. i dont think is the deportees but the television. Back in the days when we only got three channels on tv you never hear of these things but today these young people watch crap on tv and think they can go ahead and do the same thing. And i do agree that when wego to other countrie and commit crimes we need to be deported to our own country. Some of us too like to copy what other people do. You go to america to better yourself and not to do what other people do. Yea send them back to their own country when they cannot behave
Well said. Even when they become citizens and then commit crimes they should send them back. America should not have to deal with other people’s problems.
I expect that from an Antiguan since all the good looking persons there are imported. But whatever will you guys do with the ladies since most of the men are gay even in the police force??
o please give me a break….we wont even take antigua men to bathe in dominica rivers cause we all know what will happen…all the book and cacadock will go right in
Criminal activity by youth in this age group is a problem the world over. What we need are programs that address the issues facing youth in that age group. Where are their parents? What is their level of education? Are there jobs or job training programs? There should be a type of Service Program for youth ages 16-21. We are blessed with a lot of land. Why not set them up on farms to do agriculture? Learn a trade? Become self sufficient? Learn to fish, make baskets, build furniture, raise chicken, goats, cows, pigs, plant flowers along the roadside, cut the grass on our highways, paint signs for the villages, clean the beaches. Let them do their own laundry and support themselves in these work programs. There are many such programs that teach youth to be productive citizens.
If youth are not engaged in meaningful activities of course, they will turn to crime. Work is a major deterrent to criminal activity.
It is true. A lot of the evil and wicked disregard for humanity and other peole’s property comes from a mind that is dazed with mind altering drugs.
They learn the sophistication of their criminal activities overseas, then they come home and take the local guys into their roadside universities and laugh them to scorn if they do not want to be involved. I have heard them. This is a point that Mr. Hardt should be addressing, because the guns are usually U.S. made, so U.S. paid; the overriding appetitie for drugs is in the U.S. so that’s the main market; and the crime technology and mindset is either U.S. developed and transferred to these ill-equipped small islands, or ie U.S. inspired from the TV magazines etc. So he should take this into consideration when considering the issue. So dont just focus on the age issue. The younger the criminals are the easier it was for the U.S. guns and drugs culture to infiltrate their minds.
The local guys may already be experiemnting with drugs, then get ensneered into the wild side of living, and there goes the neighborhood.
Something must be done about the drug business, bouncing blame and responsibility around is not good enough. If majuana was legalized, PERHAPS the boys (and girls) would still be druggies, but the incentive for crimes associated with the illegal market would not be an additional problem, and the government could use the taxes they get from this industry to help rehabilitate the unfortunate ones.
I dont see can stop guys from planting in the mountains. But that is Dominica Government’s problem.
However, using the islands as a intransit point for drugs is another matter, and that is an international problem, that Mr. Hardt should also be addressing, admitting responsibility of the U.S. and making suggestions for us to deal with this together. Can they assist with bolstering the Coast Guard, for instance?
Tell Dem,
You are touching on a sore subject for many by suggesting that drugs be legalized. I think they all should be legalized, but it has to start at the major point of consumption, i.e, the U.S. I know drug use might increase if that happens, but as opposed to spending billions each year fighting drug related crimes, billions could be made by governments if they simply take over and regulate those industries. Government would be able to devalue those drugs, making them less attractive to dealers and users alike. The crime rates in so many countries, to include Caribbean Countries and all of the Americas would see drastic reductions.
Just a thought
While I agree with some of what you are saying, here is what you also need to face up to. Let say a group of immigrants to Dominica were comitting heanous crimes in your community, wouldn’t your first cry be to deport them. The same goes for the people in these developed countries, you cannot ask a country to spend it’s resources imprisioning (continually) and attempting to rehabilate non productive members of that society who are not even citizens. The mere idea that the individual knows that a felony will land them in jail and be subsequently deported and they still engage in those crimes, that tells you what their mindset is. I think there should be something worked out between these countries as to how they are going to work this out, so the less developed countries are not left holding the bag for people who have not contributed anything to the development of that country or have no desire to.
Dominica is working with the U.S. and other Caribbean nations to combat multinational crime.
Here’s a story on Coast Guard cooperation, as “Tell Dem” suggests:
http://dominicanewsonline.com/dno/dominica-benefits-from-multi-million-security-package-to-fight-crime/
he is very right many of these criminals in dca has never lived oversees……….skerrit start hanging them that will put them quiet
I have reservations about this statement, to the extent that Mr Hardt. stated the problem is not from deportees but youths of agev16-21 years old! Sir these deportees do have an influence on the youth, most times in a negative manner. They return with their criminal expertise and exploit the lack of sophistication in fighting crime!
While I am not against deportation of non- US nationals, to deport someone fir something as DWI, when this individual has been in the USA for most of his life makes no sense. The laws have been amended, because anyone holding a green card and commits a felony that classifies the individual as an ” aggravated felon” they are deported by ” I. C. E” upon completion of their jail term.
I agree with the gentleman most of the crimes committed in Dominica are from persons in that age group who choose to do these things. I will agree with you that deporting someone for a DWI is simply wrong as it is a misdemeanour and not even a felony which hundreds of American citizens are arrested every weekend for. Then they are deported to the countries and get branded a deportee criminal. Narrow minded uninformed Dominicans not knowing or care to know better brand and castigate them.
I agree with Mr Hardt. Each island/country need to take responsibility for its citizens. We cannot expect to travel to another country, engage in criminal activity, and expect to remain in that country.
SOME OF THE CRIMINALS ARE GIVEN TWO OR THREE CHANCES BEFORE BEING DEPORTED, WE CANNOT BLAME THE SYSTEM THEN THEMSELVES. THEY HAVE TO COMMIT THE SAME
CRIMES BECAUSE THEY WANT TO MENTAIN THE SAME LIFE STYLE THEY HAD OVERSEAS
BACK IN THE ISLAND
Clearly you have no idea what you are speaking of. The US has a zero tolerance policy since 911 and there is no second chance. Persons are being deported for misdemeanour offences like expired Drivers license and DWI even at the lowest limit. You people must stop making flippant comments on things you have no clue about. DUMBINICAN
One does not need a criminal record to be deported, as long as he or she have overstayed they can be deported. I agree with you that some of the deportees are being deported for minor infringements, but the fact is it is within the rights of the US to do so if they wish. We need to tackle the problem from its roots. One cannot be deported if he or she is living legally in a country.
@ AJ:>>” One cannot be deported if he or she is living legally in a country.”
are you for real? didn’t you read where he said even having a GREEN-CARD does not exempt one from deportation. ONLY CITIZENS. Greencard means you are legal.
When these criminal return, many dont find any gainful employment; hence, they do what they do best – CRIME. Adding to an already big problem, thats frightening the very livelyhoods of the people. However, I do believe that they should be returned to their country. These ‘home’ countries need to find a way to handle the situation…..
…send them to Antigua
Great idea!!! Send all criminal deportees to Antigua!!
send your lady two we would take better care of her .
I disagree that this is a problem that merits this kind of attention. If you look at the crimes committed in Dominica in 2010 I am sure it will support what I am saying! The crimes are from home grown Dominicans. I think that regional governments are lazy and uncreative in solving their issues and use this as an argument to extort monies from the US government. The very few deportees are seldom involved in crimes locally and those that do are far and few between. Look to the criminal statistics and figure out how to solve these issues.