Name: Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago face uncertainty
Uploaded: 2026-01-08T14:18:50.044Z
Duration: 2 min 45 s
Description: The unrest in Venezuela fuels hopes of return, but migrants in Trinidad and Tobago remain in legal limbo, torn between staying & going back

The unrest in Venezuela fuels hopes of return, but migrants in Trinidad and Tobago remain in legal limbo, torn between staying & going back

Trinidad

Venezuelan migrants and asylum seekers in Trinidad and Tobago, numbering around 40,000, continue to face precarious living conditions due to the lack of a legal framework for integration and limited access to basic services. Recent political events in Venezuela, including the removal of President Nicolás Maduro, have brought both hope and uncertainty to the community, many of whom dream of returning home but remain unsure about the future.

The closure of the UN refugee office and reduced international support have further complicated their situation, leaving many without legal rights to work, own property, or access public education. As they watch developments in Venezuela, the migrant community remains in limbo, uncertain if or when they will be able to return.

Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago face uncertainty

An epiphany celebration for Venezuelans who can't go home. This tradition is meant to reconnect these children with their homeland, a place which most of them may not even remember. They are some of the estimated 40,000 Venezuelan migrants and asylum seekers that have tried to make a life in neighboring Trinidad and Tobago, located just 11 kilometers from home. But the undertone of this year's celebration is last week's U.S. attack on Venezuela and extraction of its president, Nicolás Maduro. Events in Caracas have shocked this community, but also given them a sliver of hope of a return, something many haven't had for years. Go back to Venezuela, for me, is a dream because I want to go home to rebuild my country. Life for Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago is precarious at best. This Caribbean island of 1.4 million residents lacks the legal framework to assimilate migrants. And many Venezuelans we spoke to here say they are also victims of racism and xenophobia. Things have only worsened over the last year as the Trump administration cut funds to organizations supporting migrants and asylum seekers. The U.N. refugee office in Trinidad and Tobago closed last year. In recent years, Venezuelan migrants and asylum seekers here were granted a permit that allows them to seek more formal employment or even set up food stalls like this one in the street without the fear of being deported. But they still lack access to all basic services, meaning they can't legally drive, own property or crucially, send their children to public schools. And so made it nearly impossible for Venezuelans to fully integrate into this society. But over the last few days, what was initially a wave of excitement about the possibility of returning home has turned into uncertainty. Grevic Alvarado is a political refugee who has lived in Trinidad and Tobago with his family for eight years. He celebrated Maduro's removal from power, but says he is confused by what's happened since. It's neither one thing or the other which has left a lot in our throat. We want to scream, we're free, let's go home, but we can't do it. Should we celebrate or not? As the hours have passed, we have more questions than answers. A community in limbo. For now, they're staying put, watching closely what's happening at home and wishing to make the short trip back before too long. Julia Galeano, Al Jazeera, Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago.

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