As the expiration date approaches for the roughly 16,000 Venezuelan who were granted a one year permit to live and work in this country, the government says it is prepared to extend the registration until the end of the year.

“Going forward from July, there will be an expiration on the one year offering. Given what has happened in the interim period with the COVID and all that we have experienced, we anticipate that the government of Trinidad and Tobago will continue to extend this facility to the Venezuelans within out border…the Cabinet will be asked to do so up until December 2020,” Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley told the House of Representatives on Friday afternoon. 

Asked by Opposition Chief Whip, Dr. David Lee, whether any consideration would be given to provide COVID-19 relief to the Venezuelan nationals, the Prime Minister made it clear that this would not be up for consideration. 

“No we’re not. There are lots of Trinidad and Tobago citizens all over the world and those countries are not responsible for their sustenance,” Dr. Rowley said. 

Last Friday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert revealed that 20% of the applications received for the State’s Salary Relief Grant were rejected, for failing to meet the necessary requirements. 

A portion of those applications, he said, were non-nationals.