Imprisoned Nicaraguans to be Deported

Following the arrest of two Nicaraguans who have been in police lock-up in Westmoreland for 7 months, one personnel at the Passport, Immigration & Citizenship Agency, (PICA) tells CVM Live the foreign nationals’ deportation is not being delayed unnecessarily, that one of two Nicaraguans currently in lock up at the Sav-La-Mar police station had tested positive for COVID-19 and this delayed their deportation.

The men were charged with illegal entry into the country in February and subsequently paid their fines. The PICA personnel has advised that they should be departing shortly.

However, on Thursday, September 30, one of the illegal foreign nationals told CVM Live that none of them have done a COVID-19 test since they have been in jail, adding that they completed 2 weeks of quarantine at the Whithorn police station, Westmoreland in February.

He adds that the police checked their temperatures for a few days, with plans of transferring them to the Horizon Adult Remand Centre in Kingston, but that did not happen.

Head of the Westmoreland police division, Superintendent Robert Gordon says he understands the concerns of the Nicaraguans and their relatives but explains that the Westmoreland police have no part in the delay.

He says the matter has been in the hands of the Narcotics Division and PICA. He however notes that the documentation for the Nicaraguans to return to their country was expected to be finalized by September 30. According to the source from PICA, the Nicaraguan nationals should be cleared to return to their country next week.

More in this CVM Live story from Aladden Love: