PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — The Trinidad and Tobago says United Nations Secretary General António Guterres is sending a high powered team to the Caribbean island to investigate claims that locally-based UN officials had misrepresented last month’s repatriation of 82 Venezuelan nationals.

Acting Attorney General Stuart Young, speaking to reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting here on Thursday, said that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had held a “vigorous and detailed” teleconference with Guterres on the issue.

Young said Guterres had informed that the UNHCR team will be sent from Geneva, “to meet with Government to ensure that the right facts are put forward.”

No date was given as to when the UNHCR team will arrive here and Young said a copy of Rowley’s letter to Guterres was sent to the local UN representative.

The Prime Minister, Young added, expressed his “discomfort” by statements made by this official on the repatriation of the 82 Venezuelan nationals.

Young maintains that while Trinidad and Tobago remains in forefront of global efforts to combat human trafficking, the Rowley administration “is not considering any moratorium on persons who are here illegally”.

Last week, Rowley said that the twin island republic had adhered to the highest standards in handling the deportation of the Venezuelans and expressed concern over the misinformation currently in the public domain.

He said then that he would launch a formally complain to the United Nations about comments made by representatives, adding that there is a legal process that needs to be followed in Trinidad and Tobago by all potential migrants.

“What is being said is that Trinidad and Tobago has behaved in a manner unbecoming of Trinidad and Tobago and that is not the fact. What we have here in Trinidad and Tobago, we have difficulties in a neighbouring state. There are people from that state who have difficulties at home.

“We are generous and caring people. We have arrangements that allow Venezuelans to come to Trinidad and Tobago to stay for a short while, return to Venezuelan, obtain supplies if they have to and so on,” said Rowley.

“Bear in mind, we are not China, we are not Russia, we are not America. We are a little island, limited space of 1.3 million people and therefore we cannot and will not allow the UN spokespersons to convert us into a refugee camp,” he said.

Last Monday the United Nations expressed concern that a number of Venezuelan nationals who had sought asylum here had been deported to the South American country.

The Living Water Community (LWC), a religious based organisation that works with the UNHCR said that it too had received reports of Venezuelans being deported.

Amnesty International in an open letter to the Prime Minister also expressed concern at the situation.

Young told reporters that during his conversation between Prime Minister Rowley and the UN Secretary General, Guterres acknowledged Trinidad and Tobago has an excellent record with the UN in treating with all forms of migrants.

He said Guterres had indicated that over 40,000 Venezuelan nationals who are in Trinidad and Tobago have been treated by the government with “the highest level of respect and dignity.”

Young told reporters that there is written and video evidence which proves the 82 Venezuelan nationals were repatriated voluntarily.