Guyanese loses deportation case in T&T

Apr 28, 2018 News

Trinidad – (Newsday) – A Guyanese man who was granted permission to stay in this country for five months, but remained in Trinidad until 2017, when he was ordered to be deported, has lost his judicial review claim against the Chief Immigration Officer.
Deaughn Dillon Bennett, in January challenged the decision of a special inquiry officer of the Immigration Division to order his deportation and a subsequent decision requiring him to produce a plane ticket for his departure from Trinidad.
Bennett was first detained on November 16, 2017, by police, who handed him over to the Immigration Division to determine his status in this country.
He was released after a landing deposit of $1,700 was paid on his behalf and was placed on an order of supervision. A special inquiry was held in December. Bennett also allegedly married a Trinidadian on November 28, shortly after he was detained.
The division found that Bennett remained in this country illegally and was in breach of various provisions of the Immigration Act. In her ruling, Justice Margaret Mohammed found Bennett failed to show that there were procedural flaws at the special inquiry to render unlawful the decision to have him deported.
The inquiry found Bennett was not a citizen of T&T, nor did he have any claim to such status; he did not obtain an extension of his entry certificate to remain in this country and worked without a permit; made no attempt to regularise his status in the country; while he claimed to be married, he could not recall the date of his marriage, even though it took place three weeks before the inquiry was held; that the marriage was held under Muslim rites although he and his wife were Christians; and neither of them could produce their marriage certificate or any documentation to show that the marriage took place.
Bennett was ordered to pay the State’s costs for defending the claim.
He was represented by attorneys Jehan Mohammed-Ali and Russell Warner, while the Chief Immigration Officer was represented by Josephina Baptiste-Mohammed, Candice Alexander and Nicole Yee Fung.

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