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Haitian student being sent home

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A Haitian student facing deportation is calling on the Chief Immigration Officer to have mercy as he claims to have the required permission to study in T&T.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Luxon Saint-Herve, who is currently at his sponsor’s residence in Port-of-Spain said he was confused and needed to have answers.

“Why are they doing this to me?” Saint-Herve said.

He told the T&T Guardian while in Haiti he applied for his student’s visa in the first week of August and was granted it.

“Before I came here the consulate called me because they had accepted my application and when I went there I got my student visa for three months so I don’t understand why this is happening to me.

“I need to continue my studies and would appreciate if I am allowed to do so,” Saint-Herve said.

On Tuesday, chairman of the Emancipation Support Committee, Kafra Kambon, wrote to the Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Ghandi-Andrews seeking to stop Saint-Herve from being sent back home tomorrow.

The Haitian arrived in T&T on August 16 to pursue a degree at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies.

According to Kambon, the student fulfilled all requirements and even has a sponsor from T&T.

He described the pending deportation as inhumane, given the economic and physical hardships in Haiti following its devastation last month by Hurricane Matthew.

Saint-Herve began his studies at Cipriani College on August 22 while completing the formalities to obtain his student visa.

The college provided whatever documents were required about Saint-Herve’s course of study and responded to all queries in writing.

He also provided his original transcripts from Haiti in French and a notarised translation as requested.

“His sponsor presented his banking information. It seemed that all was well. However, much to his surprise and dismay, on October 25, Saint-Herve was told that his application had been refused. No reasons were given at the time.

“As a Haitian coming from difficult circumstances it took tremendous sacrifice from family as well as the support of friends and organisations to get him here,” Kambon said.

He said that in response to subsequent queries, immigration officials raised issues about the number of courses he was currently studying, the quality of his English and his financial status.

Cipriani College officials responded in full to the academic issues raised, according to Kambon.

“Despite all this being known to the authorities they have persisted in their heartless actions forcing the young man to come to the Immigration Office on October 28 with a ticket to return to Haiti by November 5. So far all efforts to get this decision overturned have failed,” Kambon said.

“Without higher intervention, Saint-Herve will have to return to Haiti in a few days and some poor family that was looking forward with pride to the return of a graduate in three years who could help them to improve their circumstances will instead have to greet a young man in whom they have invested a great deal, now dejected having been rejected through no fault of his own or the college that accepted him,” he added.

Kambon called on the relevant authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly and have it resolved with the greatest urgency.

Ghandi-Andrews did not respond to calls yesterday. 


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