BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew says the authorities have uncovered “ a ring” resulting in illegal marriages taking place here and raising the possibility that the twin-island Federation is being used for human trafficking.
Prime Minister Drew, Minister of National Security and immigration, told Parliament that illegal marriages involving individuals from the Spanish community allow them to be granted citizenship and voting rights.
“Madam Speaker, I found in my own Ministry a ring, a ring of illegal marriages. Let me tell you how this ring works because I have it written here. Somebody in Santo Domingo is charging a lot of money for a visa.
“You pay them for a visa there. They have a connection here. So you buy a plane ticket and come in with your costly visa, of which this government is only making 10 percent. When they come in, Madam Speaker, a husband or wife is waiting for them.”
Prime Minister Drew told legislators that they then get married, resulting in the payment of more money.
“From the time they get married, the same day, sometimes in their wedding garments, they [go] for their Certificate of Marriage, after they get the Certificate of Marriage, they get their Certificate of Citizenship and [go into] the Electoral Office for [an] Id. Once they go for their ID Madam Speaker, they are paid a certain sum of money, and their name is included on an electoral list to vote,” he said.
Prime Minister Drew said that while some marriages may be genuine, some individuals involved in the marriage ring have been abusing the system by marrying and divorcing several times to gain money.
“Madam Speaker, I am speaking the truth…I have a box of a few hundred [cases]. I don’t know where to start because among them might be real marriages, but because there are so [many] fake marriages, you don’t even know where to start, Madam Speaker.
“Thousands upon thousands of dollars, and this is how it works- “You come, you marry, your divorce, you marry again, and then you pass on the citizenship here, there, and everywhere. That is how it works, Madam Speaker. Those persons who are involved in it will say, “well [give] me EC$3,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents), and then they divorce, and then they look for another marriage because that’s another quick EC$3,000.”
Drew said he met with the Latino community here and explained what the government had identified. He also said that conversations with some Spanish nationals proved that there is no real relationship between them and their marriage partner.
“I went to a meeting with the [Spanish] Community, and they have legitimate concerns which we have to address because, as was said, we cannot treat people less than human; but at the same time, every country must have rules, laws, and regulations as I said to them.
“Not even in their own country can it be done like that. “You’re asking a married person, “what is your husband’s name? [and they respond] “Well, I think- I can’t remember the first name” and [they’re] married. [They were] saying to the AG (Attorney General) or speaking to the officials, “well, I don’t know his name; I call him babes.
“I spoke to them directly. I met with the [Spanish] community because I said we’re going to treat people humanely, but I told them this is what I uncovered and discovered, and therefore, we cannot continue that path.
“It’s a whole ring where we were even being questioned about being part of human trafficking. Madam Speaker, people have to be responsible for these things. Our country was going down the drain,” Drew told Parliament.
The former prime minister and national security minister Dr. Timothy Harris was not present in the Parliament when Prime Minister Drew made the statement calling on his predecessor to respond to the situation publicly.
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