They focused on the issue as it relates to the increase of crime and violence in Trinidad and Tobago and the region.
Persad-Bissessar initiated these discussions during a meeting in Washington on April 17, 2013 with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns. At those talks she asked for America's assistance in doing more to inform Trinidad and Tobago and regional authorities of the criminal background of deportees from Caribbean countries and to the need to improve information sharing on deportations.
During her talks with Biden the Prime Minister noted that one of the major problems being experienced is that many of the criminal deportees would have left the Region prior to adulthood and do not have any ties to the countries to which they have been deported.
In this context, she suggested that increased focus should be placed on improved information and intelligence sharing with respect to criminal deportees, in particular access to complete dossiers on medical and criminal history as well as consideration of financial and technical assistance to establish re-integration programmes within CARICOM Member States.
In addition, she noted that because the majority of criminal deportees have few support networks or connections in their home country, making them vulnerable to criminal careers, therefore threatening the same citizen peace and security that the Region is working so assiduously to improve.
The Prime Minister referred to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between both governments, pertaining to the removal of criminal aliens from the United States.. That MOU, from the year 2000, was intended to address, among other issues, the challenges faced by Trinidad and Tobago when criminal aliens arrive from the US without advanced notification. However it has not produced all of the expected results as it failed to ensure forwarding of complete records, she noted
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