For years, Turks and Caicos has been targeted for corruption by the UK, even though the UK has been "over seeing" the territory for decades.
The Turks and Caicos government had repeatedly informed the UK of the threat of foreigners and illegal immigration from Haiti. The proof now exists that the UK plotted to turn a blind eye to the illegal Haitian dilemma in Turks and Caicos for political purposes. Now that the UK has removed Turks and Caicos from self government in 2009, it is clear that the UK is benevolently helping the illegal Haitians to solicit their support to eradicate Turks and Caicos Islanders. This was a fear expressed by the Turks and Caicos Islanders starting in early 2000s.
The population of Turks and Caicos Islanders is currently outnumbered by foreigners (expatriates and illegal Haitians alike). This makes the islanders a minority in their country. The Turks and Caicos Islanders have been warning the UK of this risk for many, many years. The Haitians outnumber the islanders in population, a deed not surprising since Turks and Caicos is merely 90 miles north of Haiti and considering that Turks and Caicos had the wealthiest population per capita in the Caribbean compared to Haiti with the lowest standard of living.
The relationship between the Turks and Caicos and the UK was always a “defence relationship” and “border protection relationship” only, prior to UK taking direct rule of Turks and Caicos in 2009. The Turks and Caicos’ relationship with the UK did not include economic assistance. Yet Turks and Caicos’ repeated requests for UK border control fell on deaf ears.
It is widely recognised that the UK and USA have embarked on a campaign for political instability in the Caribbean region for many years, dating back decades. The two power-house countries have been systematically juggling “helping versus censuring” key countries in the region, seemingly to reserve intermediary action at will.
In 2003, a revolution in Haiti ensued, this revolution is known now to have been orchestrated by the US government. Shortly after, in January 2004, Turks and Caicos Islands’ former (UK deposed in 2009) Premier Michael Misick had again beseeched the UK to assist with national security relating to the influx of illegal Haitian immigrants.
In January of 2004 and thereafter, expressing the security risk from the influx of illegal Haitians fleeing to Turks and Caicos by boat, Chief Minister Michael Misick called for the UK to support border control enforcements, emphasising the stress caused by illegal Haitian immigration in Turks and Caicos. Misick expressed that Haitian migrants will continue to come back in a "merry-go-round" outcome, returning days after the process of deportation. This presented a serious impact on Turks and Caicos Islanders’ health, culture, finances, and national security.
Following his many attempts to impart the risks of illegal Haitian migrants to the UK, Chief Minister Misick made note of his unhappiness towards Westminster’s unwillingness to respond to the Haitian migration situation. In turn, Westminster responded hastily to Misick concluding that the Haitian migration problem was considered to be “an immigration, not a national security issue,” therefore, the UK would not provide the Turks and Caicos government with financial support or border support to defray the expense of either enforcement or repatriation of illegal Haitians.
The UK Turks and Cacos Governor and the UK officials concluded that the presence of illegal Haitians in Turks and Caicos was mixed, reporting that local contractors, builders, and developers welcomed cheap Haitian labor even while decrying the threat to TCI society that they posed. Essentially, the UK espoused the positive function that the Haitian population had in Turks and Caicos.
The Turks and Caicos Police Commissioner tried to help by confirming to the UK that the Turks and Caicos received reports that Haitians were building vessels to depart their country, that Colombian drug cartels were stockpiling drugs in Haiti for shipment through Turks and Caicos and then to The Bahamas to the United States. Senior Immigration officials in Turks and Caicos echoed concerns of Turks and Caicos Government fears of a worsening situation from Haiti.
The Bahamians also expressed worry and concern about the impact of a large illegal Haitian presence in their country. The Wikileaks embassy cables reflect that Turks and Caicos, a country much closer to Haiti with less than 10 percent of the population of The Bahamas, should be petrified if The Bahamas was concerned.
The Turks and Caicos government expressed fear to the UK of the imminent loss of their cultural identity and, perhaps, political control of their country resulting from the illegal Haitian immigration. The UK retorted with indifference and refused assistance to the Turks and Caicos.
Up to the time that Misick was deposed from office by the UK in 2009, the illegal immigration problem in Turks and Caicos was a sore spot in its relationship with the UK. As it turns out now, years later, in Turks and Caicos, the UK has taken over Turks and Caicos and is supporting the Haitian population by allowing them to remain and by supporting the foreign expatriates in an effort to become Turks and Caicos citizens (in addition to citizens in their own home country). The UK has vowed to write laws into place allowing the immigrants’ citizenship and voting rights in Turks and Caicos. The UK has also replaced the Turks and Caicos constitution with a new one giving the UK the power to grant citizenship to whomever the UK sees fit and is allowing the Haitian squatters who have built slums to remain, unchallenged. At the same time, the UK has been evicting Turks and Caicos Islanders from their so called crown land, without any legal explanation, only saying that it is now retroactive nature reserves.
The outnumbering new citizens will marginalize the minority population of islanders. Turks and Caicos Islanders are no longer allowed to participate in the government of their country, they have no legal power to contest the UK takeover or the UK’s new constitution. The islanders have been evicted from their land and homes while illegal immigrants may remain on land where they are squatters.
The Turks and Caicos Islanders are being eradicated by the UK. They have lost all rights to their self determination.
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