They cited a recent
case of a Canadian whose application for citizenship was granted
without the normal procedures and given a Trinidad and Tobago passport
in one day.
Canadian Calder Hart, chairman of the Urban Development Company
of Trinidad and Tobago (UDECOTT), had his application for citizenship
approved by the Ministry of National Security without an interview
or recommendation by the Immigration Department, one source said.
Hart is in charge of the billion-dollar development of the city
of Port of Spain, including the Port of Spain waterfront, the prime
minister’s residence and the construction of new office complex
at President’s Grounds, which is now the centre of a controversy
with residents of the area.
Sources say that a top official from the Ministry of National Security
called a senior immigration officer, inquiring whether he had any
objection to granting Hart citizenship.
The next day, Hart walked in with his citizenship certificate and
was granted a TnT passport the same day.
The normal procedure would have been for the Ministry to send Hart’s
file to the Chief Immigration Officer who would appoint a senior
officer to carry out an interview with him to determine whether
he has fulfilled the requirements for citizenship, the source stated.
The officer then makes a recommendation to the Chief Immigration
Officer, who then makes his recommendation to the Minister of National
Security for final approval.
However, Hart was interviewed by the Immigration when he applied
for residential status.
For a Commonwealth citizen it takes three years (if married locally),
for residence while it could take between five and seven years for
citizenship.
One source said that prominent foreigners who come here to work
are given special treatment to obtain their status in Trinidad and
Tobago.
TnT Mirror was told that a number of Chinese nationals who were
blanked by Immigration for residence or citizenship status are getting
their applications approved by the Ministry of National Security.
Some Chinese are paying up to $50,000 to regularise their status
here.
The wife of a senior official in the Ministry of National Security
is reported to be the major financial beneficiary for “assisting”
the Chinese immigrants.
Immigration officials are calling on Minister Martin Joseph to investigate. |
