Deputy Premier and Minister of BorderControl and Employment, Hon. Sean Astwood, has revealed that over 1,700individuals were repatriated from the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) during a15-month period, marking a significant increase in immigration enforcementactivities. According to the Ministry’s first-quarter 2018 report, 1,335individuals were repatriated in 2017 compared to 491 in 2016, and 432individuals were repatriated in the first three months of 2018. The increasefollows the launch of Operation Guardian, a joint initiative involvingmultiple government agencies aimed at addressing illegal immigration andenforcing labor and planning regulations. Astwood emphasized the critical roleof these operations in protecting the nation’s borders and managing the flow ofundocumented migrants.

The report detailed enforcement activities,including inspections of businesses and residential areas in key locations likeFive Cays, Blue Hills, and Downtown Providenciales. During these operations,multiple individuals were apprehended for immigration violations such asoverstaying, unlawful entry, or working outside the terms of their immigrationstatus. In March 2018 alone, 343 individuals were apprehended, with 302repatriated to six countries. Additionally, significant maritime efforts,including special night patrols and the interception of illegal vessels, havebeen implemented to reduce undetected landings. Astwood noted that the arrivalof the UK’s RFA Mounts Bay in March provided critical maritime assistanceduring a period of heightened sloop activity.

Astwood also highlighted the broader impactof these measures, including prosecutions for immigration offenses and theremoval of individuals working contrary to their permits. He emphasized theimportance of continued collaboration among agencies such as the Royal Turksand Caicos Islands Police Force, Labor Officers, and Planning and EnvironmentalHealth teams. Astwood urged citizens to carry government-issued identificationto facilitate operations and stressed that enhanced border control efforts, includingnighttime patrols, remain a key part of the government’s comprehensiveimmigration policy. Recognizing the challenges posed by illegal migration,Astwood reaffirmed the government's commitment to protecting TCI’s borders andensuring compliance with immigration laws.

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