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NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young said on Tuesday Government's repatriation response to the covid19 pandemic is fair and driven by public health and science.
In a statement, Young said despite numerous legal challenges to the repatriation system, "To date, the courts have upheld the system and the policies of repatriation."
"The system is designed to be as fair as possible and there is no discrimination as we try to repatriate nationals safely."
Up to July 29, there were 5.539 applications to enter TT. As at December 23. 9,557 exemptions had been granted.
Young said, "This shows that the vast majority of people who were genuinely stuck outside as at March 22 were granted exemptions to return."
The closure of TT's borders on March 22, he said, was a public health measure to protect nationals in the country against the pandemic and managing the repatriation of others. He said applications continue to be considered case by case, with various factors being considered before approvals to enter TT were granted. These factors included date of application; elderly and sick nationals; families, especially those with young children; people who went on vacation for a few weeks and got stuck outside; and people with medical issues.
After these categories were addressed, Young said, students and other people who wanted to return home were considered.
"Approvals were never granted on a first-come-first-served basis alone."
He said a discretion was maintained for emergency or expedited cases.
Young said among the people trying to enter TT are nationals living abroad, some with dual citizenship, who return because of loss of job or working away illegally, and nationals accustomed to living abroad and then returning to spend months here. He said it is unfair to prioritise them over those who went abroad for a short vacation before March 22 and were stuck outside when the borders were closed.
Young said every Caribbean Airlines flight leaving TT over the last few months for Miami, New York, Barbados and Canada has carried TT nationals who "know that the borders are closed when they leave the country but still turn around and apply to return."
The system changes when it needs to, he said.
For instance, "We recently introduced the requirement of a negative PCR test 72 hours before arrival in TT."
This, he continued, has reduced the time people spend in state or state-supervised quarantine from 14 to seven days, allowing quicker cycles of repatriation.
The provision of money through TT's diplomatic missions to nationals awaiting repatriation and the introduction of state-supervised quarantine where people pay for their quarantine had ensured, he said, that the parallel health care system established to deal with covid19 has not been overwhelmed and increased the number of people who can be repatriated.
"Border closure remains a pillar of the covid19 management at this time and has proved effective in protecting our population in TT."
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