Haitian male fears deportation

AHaitian man told the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court last week that he fears being deported because he’s afraid to lose his life.

“My country is a serious country. To be honest, my country has so much violence, I ‘fraid to go back,” Richardo Nerestant said, after admitting guilt to illegal entry and failure to comply with conditions with leave to remain in the island. The 27-year-old said he arrived in the island in 2019, but the prosecution said that it was 2018.

The court heard that Nerestant arrived in the island and was placed at a location, however, he left from the property and did not return. “Me did lef fi true,” he confessed. “What have you been up to in Jamaica?” Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque quizzed.

“Me have wife and we travel and come back. It’s a Jamaican woman,” Nerestant replied, adding that he does not have children yet.

“I don’t know about the ‘yet’ because the authorities are here to escort you off to your country,” the senior jurist indicated.

Nerestant said that the Haitians who arrived in Long Bay, Portland, last October were sent back with no word on how they are doing.

“I finished high school in Haiti, I didn’t even go to university and the president dead so I ‘fraid to go back because I ‘fraid to lose my life,” he said. Nerestant added that he decided to marry a Jamaican to assist with his ‘situation’.

“I go to immigration and they tell you what to do, what money to pay and I did all of that,” he explained.

Investigators informed Judge ColeMontaque that Nerestant was among a group of nine Haitians that arrived in Portland sometime last November and were seen aboard a taxi.

“If they were looking for me from 2019, why they allow me to travel and come back? I don’t change my name or nothing,” he said.

“As you can see, you won’t be here for much longer because arrangements will be made for you to be taken back to your country, that is the reality. I am sorry your wife didn’t come,” Judge Cole-Montaque said.

Nerestant, who is a tiler and mason, was fined $10,000 or 20 days’ imprisonment on both offences.

The sentences are to run concurrently if fines are not paid. – T.T.