Deputy Premier Hon. Sean Astwood hasrevealed that 3,402 illegal migrants have been removed from the Turks andCaicos Islands (TCI) over the past 16 months, highlighting the government'saggressive approach to enforcing immigration laws. Of this total, 1,414individuals were apprehended through land-based enforcement activitiestargeting overstayers and undocumented workers living in the islands. Speakingduring the budget debate in the House of Assembly, Astwood emphasized that OperationGuardian has been the most extensive effort in TCI history to tackleirregular migration. He noted that apprehensions for 2018 alone tripledcompared to 2017, rising from 445 to 1,303, while successful prosecutionsincreased from 17 in 2017 to 79 in 2018.

Astwood underscored the importance of acollaborative approach, crediting the Office of the Director of Prosecutionsand other enforcement partners for these achievements. He stated thatenforcement remains a top priority, with ongoing business and communitycompliance inspections led by the Immigration and Employment Departments. TheDeputy Premier also announced initiatives to strengthen immigration management,including installing a fingerprinting system and upgrading the DepartureLounge at Providenciales International Airport to track overstayers andstreamline records. These measures aim to enhance intelligence gathering andborder enforcement capabilities, ensuring better management of individualsentering and exiting the country.

Upgrades to the Detention Centre inProvidenciales are also planned, including improvements to CCTV systems andfacilities for families and children, aligning the center with internationalstandards. Astwood highlighted that these changes are part of a broaderstrategy to address illegal migration as a national security priority. He notedthat the modernized fingerprinting system, compatible with the Police Force’sdatabase, will improve efficiency and security while enabling bettercoordination among agencies. By focusing on technology, infrastructure, androbust enforcement, Astwood reaffirmed the government’s commitment toprotecting TCI’s borders and ensuring compliance with immigration laws."This is real change," he stated, underscoring the government'ssuccess in tackling illegal migration head-on.